The Other Side of Darkness
by MakoEyes13
Summary: The festival is over and Negi and crew are trying get their lives back on track. But someone has other plans. Negi is attacked by a mysterious enemy. And his life is thrown back into disarray. Can Negi fight this new enemy and still protect those he loves
1. Chapter 1: Getting Over You

**I know that I have too many stories out to start a new one. However, I couldn't help it. So here it is my third Negima fic! For the first couple chapters it may seem like my Vinculums Ab Fatum fic but believe me it is way different!**

**Disclaimer: I don not own Negima. Negima belongs to Ken Akamatsu.**

* * *

**Chapter 1: Getting Over You**

"That was one long week wasn't it?"

"Y-yeah. I guess that it was a little bit stressful," answered a red haired boy.

"Just a little?"

Negi Springfield stared up at the ceiling of the dorm room that he shared with two of students. Negi was just your average ten year old child. Unless you took into consideration the fact that he was an English teacher in Japan. Oh, and of course there was the whole thing where he was a mage. Other than that one would swear that he was absolutely normal if they had seen him out on the street. Negi had medium-shoulder length red hair that he often pulled back into a messy ponytail. His large chestnut colored eyes were hidden behind small pince-nez glasses. His face was very handsome especially for someone who was only ten years old. A couple of bandages covered the various scratches and burns that adorned his face after tonight's scuffle. As a mage, and the son of one of the most famous magi of all time, Negi often attracted unwanted attention. On a few occasions it even came from his own students. Negi turned to the small creature beside him and gave him a small, obviously fake smile.

"Well, I-I mean it could have been worse. Right Kamo-kun?"

The small creature that lay next to him unfurled itself from its little ball. Kamo was a snow white ermine that had just the very tip of its tail painted black. Kamo was Negi's familiar and pet. Of course he served other purposes than just making a cute pet for the boy mage. He could do some magic as well and helped Negi when he needed to find partners to help him on his quest. Of course Kamo did have a couple flaws of his own. The main one being that he was often very perverse when it came to the girls of Negi's class. Or any girls for that matter. Still, Negi wouldn't have anyone else as his partner.

"How the hell could that have been worse?!" Kamo nearly shouted. He refrained from being to loud for fear of waking up a certain redhead in the room.

Negi put a finger to his chin in thought. "Well. Chao-san could have revealed the existence of mages to the entire world."

Kamo was about to start arguing but realized that Negi was right about that. Chao Lingshen was one of the students from Negi's class and a super genius. Though if you asked her, she was a Martian from the future. Believe it or not Chao had come from the future and just mere days ago had tried to reveal magic to the entire world. Now at first glance that didn't appear to be too bad of an idea. However, it was against the laws of the magical world for magic to be revealed to the world of humans. If Chao had succeeded, Negi and several of the other mage teachers around the school would have been turned into ermines as their punishment. Chao tried everything in her power to keep Negi from stopping her and make her goals come to fruition. Luckily Negi was able to turn the tables on the genius and stop her before she managed to actually complete her mission. Of course he never would have been able to stop her without the help of his friends.

For once during his fight with Chao Negi allowed himself to get cocky in his abilities. He thought, and even Chao agreed, that the victory was well earned. The only problem was that Negi couldn't allow himself to be happy with the win. In fact the win was practically a moot point for. No matter how hard he tried to get Chao to stay with him and the rest of the class she refused. The young Chinese scientist had gone back to her own time. Even though she was an enemy for the time she had been one of Negi's best and brightest students. And in a weird way that didn't make too much sense to him, she was also family. So when she left it was only natural that she would at least leave a small void behind.

"I can't sleep," Kamo said suddenly.

Negi looked over at the ermine and nodded in agreement. "Neither can I," he admitted. "What should we do?"

Kamo scratched his head. "Well Aniki, it is the last day of the festival. Maybe we should go and enjoy the scenery before it all disappears."

A small smile appeared on the child mages face. For once he was in complete agreement with the ermine. "Heh. That sounds like a pretty good idea."

Negi moved around his loft and reached for the drawers that held his clothes. He picked out a pair of navy blue pants and slid them on carefully. Despite some of Konoka's healing he was still extremely for sore from all of the fighting. He pulled a matching blue long sleeved t-shirt from the drawer. Kamo watched as Negi slowly and painfully removed the pajama top that he was wearing. After slipping on the other shirt he pulled on a black zip-up vest. Kamo nodded in appreciation of the boy's style of dress. Since coming to Japan, teaching a class full of girls, and living with two of the said girls he was forced to dress in something other than suits. Finally Negi slipped on his brown shoes and started to climb down the ladder. Kamo leapt onto his head in order to make the trip easier for himself.

"Do you think that we should wake Ane-san?" He asked in a whisper.

Negi reached the bottom of the ladder and looked over towards the sleeping girl. "No. She's had as long of a day as us. Let her sleep."

"I'm already awake," grumbled a sleepy voice.

Negi stiffened and turned around only to find a pair of mismatched eyes staring back at him sleepily. Asuna sat up in her bed, clutching her blanket with one hand. Realizing what was happening, her eyes opened a little bit wider. Negi could faintly see her orange colored hair traveling down over the edge of the top bunk bed. Her eyes, one jade in color and the other sapphire, shimmered slightly in the moonlight. She gave a soft yawn before finally addressing Negi.

"Where do you think you're going?" She asked in a sleepy voice.

Negi scratched the back of his head in a nervous fashion. "W-w-well Kamo-kun and I c-couldn't sleep."

"So we are going to go and enjoy the festival."

"Would you like to come?!" Negi asked quickly. He was hoping that this might save him from a beating if she was mad.

Asuna yawned again and shook her head. "I don't wanna go," she whispered sadly.

Negi felt a little twinge of pain at hearing how upset the redhead was. "A-Asuna-san? Is something wrong?"

"…No. I just don't wanna go with you okay!"

"R-right." Negi and Kamo shared a look before heading to the door. On the way out Negi grabbed his staff and slung it over his shoulder. He quietly shut the door behind him and leaned back against the frame. "I wonder what's bothering Asuna-san?" He asked worriedly.

Kamo waved it off with his paw. "Probably just her time of the month."

Negi chose to ignore that statement and continued walking down the dark dormitory halls. "Something weird is happening Kamo-kun. First Konoka-san doesn't come home and now Asuna-san is all upset."

"They're in middle school Aniki," Kamo replied. "They are bound to do some things that we'll never understand."

"Yeah. I guess."

As they continued down this particular hall Negi found it odd that there was no one else out. Perhaps everyone else really was still down at the festival. Suddenly a chill made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. He could sense someone behind him and it wasn't just any normal person either. The air suddenly became denser as if filling with an unseen force. Kamo on the other hand didn't seem to feel it at all; which was odd considering he was always the one to detect a magic signature first. Negi continued to walk but reached back and placed a hand on his staff. He turned sharply; ready to attack whoever or whatever was following him. Nothing. There was nothing but the darkness of the halls to greet him. He could have sworn that there was something there though.

"Aniki! What's the big deal?!" Kamo cried. "You nearly threw me off!"

Negi turned around to look at Kamo. He was breathing hard most likely due to the sudden jolt he had experienced. "Sorry!" Negi said quickly. "I-I thought that I sensed something."

Kamo took a second to concentrate but couldn't lock onto any signature other than Negi's. Kamo patted the mage on the cheek and said, "You really need some fresh air."

"I think you're right." Negi continued to walk down the hall. Never once did his mind stray from the strange signature he had sensed only seconds ago.

Just as they had expected many of the stands and attractions of the festival remained open. Students of all ages from the Mahora campus were bustling here and there. Laughter and the joyous cries from many of them filled the air. Negi could see some of the people just sitting around and enjoying the sights that the festival had to offer. Others were taking a more active approach in enjoying what the festival had to offer. Some were eagerly waiting in line for ice cream, having fun on the rides, or testing their luck and skill at the game booths. Not to mention that the wild costumes everyone wore only served to make the festival more fun. Negi loved the atmosphere that the festival had to offer. Even in his somewhat depressive mood it was able to cheer him up a bit. The only problem now was deciding what he should go and do first.

"What do you think we should go and do first Kamo-kun?"

"I think we should go and get something to eat. I'm starving!" As if to drive the statement home, a loud rumbling came from the ermine's stomach.

"What else is new?" Negi asked jokingly. "I wonder if Yotsuba-san still has a stand open?"

Before he made it three steps he heard someone call out his name. "Yo Negi!"

Negi turned around and saw a boy around his age running towards him. The boy had long black hair that was cut in a very jagged fashion. It fact it was styled a lot like his own hair but without the ponytail. The boy had sharp but handsome facial features for someone of his age. He was dressed in the schools elementary level uniform. A pair of black pants, a black blazer, and a white shirt. The boy's name was Inugami Kotarou. Kotarou was Negi's rival and his best friend as well. See Kotarou also had a secret of his own to hide. He was known as a Hanyo, someone who is part demon and part human. Kotarou's demon side just happened to be that of a dog. This was made obvious by the large ears, pronounced canines, and of course his tail. All of which he didn't have to hide during the festival.

Kotarou rushed up to Negi without thinking. Just as soon as he reached the young mage he skidded to a halt. Negi opened his mouth to say something but snapped it shut very quickly. Things had been a little strained between the two of them since the Mahora Boudakai Tournament. The two of them had made a promise to one another that they would meet each other in the finals. Unfortunately, Kotarou had been faced with an opponent that was far stronger than him and was soundly defeated. Since then he had been a little wary whenever he was around Negi.

The two of them stood there and stared at the ground in a tense silence. It seemed like an eternity before one of them said something. "How's your arm?" Kotarou asked quietly.

Negi looked down at his left arm that had been bandaged from his elbow to his hand. The burns on the arm were a little bit bad. "Not too bad. Still hurts sometimes."

Kotarou nodded. "I guess so."

Kamo's gaze switched from Negi to Kotarou and back. Kotarou was the only male friend that Negi had and he was really hoping that the two of them would be able to get passed this. After all, the two of them needed each other for defense against the female dominant population of the dorms. Not to mention that Kotarou had actually come to like the Inu as both a partner and a companion.

"Listen Negi. About the tournament, I'm sorry that I wasn't good enough to make it to the final round. I made you a promise and I blew it."

Negi shook his head. "I don't care about that." Kotarou blinked but didn't say anything. "You came back when we really needed you. I was happy that you came back to help us with Chao-san."

Kotarou's ears perked up and his confident smirk immediately returned to his face. "Well of course I came back. If I didn't you would have been killed! Then how would I have gotten my rematch?!" He said with a maniacal sort of laugh.

Kamo shook his head at the boy. That was Kotarou's way of saying that he cared about Negi. "So what are you doing out here kid?" Kamo asked curiously.

"Taking in the sights." Was all that Kotarou said. "What about you guys?"

"Couldn't sleep," Negi replied. For now it seemed like any problems that they might have had were solved. "We were going to go get something to eat. Wanna come?"

Kotarou shrugged and then nodded. "I guess I could use a little something to eat."

"Oh thank god. I'm freakin starving!" Kamo cried.

* * *

Asuna lay back in her bed wide awake after her little conversation with Negi. Though if she were to be completely honest she had been awake long before then. After all Negi wasn't the only person that was having some problems of his own. The festival had been very stressful on the poor young girl. And it wasn't just the intense battles that had her feeling like this. In fact the fighting only covered a small portion of that. First of all she had to deal with the emotional distress that she suffered after being rejected by her former sensei. She knew that Takamichi hadn't meant to hurt her but she still felt the sting. Then there was Negi. Asuna tried so hard to be there for him and protect him during the battle with Chao and her army. Only to realize that Negi didn't even really need her. Then of course there was that incident at the tournament that still dwelled in her memory. She had lost control of herself and nearly killed Setsuna. To this point she still had no idea what caused her to lose control but she still remembered everything that happened. 

Just as Asuna was about to roll over and try to go back to sleep there was a knock at the door. "Oh thank you!" She scrambled down from her bed and ran for the door. She flung the door open to reveal a fully clothed Setsuna.

"Setsuna-san?" She asked in surprise.

Setsuna smiled back at the redhead. Setsuna was a year younger than Asuna and was practically her opposite in every way. Whereas Asuna was tall with long hair; Setsuna was short with short brown hair that she wore up. Her snowy skin contrasted sharply with her dark hair and eyes. Setsuna had a serious inferiority complex that only Asuna and maybe Negi seemed to notice. Because of this she was a rather shy and introverted young girl. Setsuna was dressed in a white sailor shirt and a navy blue skirt that fell down to just below her knees. She was wearing a pair of brown shoes that were standard among the school uniforms. A pair pf fake cat ears adorned the top of her head and she was also wearing a fake black tail. Asuna smiled, she couldn't help but notice how cute Asuna looked.

"Hi. I hope I didn't wake you?" Setsuna asked worriedly.

"Of course not! Please come in!" Asuna slipped aside and motioned for her to come in.

Setsuna smiled gratefully at the older girl and walked inside. "I couldn't sleep so I was hoping that you, Ojou-sama, and Negi-sensei would be up?" She glanced around the room curiously. "Where are they anyways?"

"Huh?" Oh! Right after you left Konoka got real antsy and went out. And Negi and Kamo couldn't sleep so they decided to go out as well."

"Oh…" Setsuna nodded but she also seemed a little disappointed. She took a seat on the couch and ran a hand through her hair. "Negi-sensei can take care of himself but I'm a little worried about Ojou-sama."

Asuna took a seat next to hr and smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry Setsuna-san the fighting is over. Besides the teachers are still around. And I heard Konoka talking to Kazumi-chan and Sayo chan out in the hall. I think that she went with them. She'll be fine." Asuna finished in confidence.

Setsuna nodded slowly. "So why didn't you go with them?"

Asuna blinked and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I just didn't feel like it." Was her weak reply.

"Asuna-san? Is something wrong?"

"No."

"Really what's bothering you?"

"I told you that nothing is wrong."

Unfortunately Setsuna wasn't falling for the fake smile that Asuna was giving her. Asuna had always been there for her when she needed someone. And even though she wasn't the best at giving comfort she was going to try.

"You know I have never been to the festival before?"

"What do you mean?" Asuna mumbled. She lifted her head to look at Setsuna. "You were at the festival this year and all of the years before that."

Setsuna nodded. "What I mean is that I never really got to have a stress free festival. I've always had to work. I've had to patrol, watch over Ojou-sama (Not that I mind that) and just look at this year!"

"You really haven't been before?"

"No." Setsuna stood up and offered a hand to Asuna. "I want to have one free festival day. And I want you to come with me."

Asuna looked at the hand in apprehension. It wasn't fair that Setsuna had never really been to one of the festivals without having to worry about work. She deserved to have a nice time even if it was just one night. "Okay." Asuna accepted the hand and allowed herself to be pulled to her feet. "Let me get dressed first."

* * *

"Here you are Negi-sensei." Satsuki placed a bowl of soup in front of her sensei. "And for Kotarou-kun, miso ramen." She gave Kotarou her bowl and smiled brightly. "Finally Kamo-kun." She gave the ermine a plate of dumplings. "Will that be all?" She asked sweetly. 

"Thank you very much, Satsuki-san!" Negi replied cheerfully.

Kamo showed his appreciation by digging in. Kotarou nodded and said, "Yeah thanks!" Satsuki smiled happily at them and wandered off to serve more customers. "She has a really cute way of speaking."

Negi agreed wholeheartedly with his friend. Kamo would have to if his face wasn't already stuffed. "She does. You never did answer our question Kotarou-kun."

Kotarou fidgeted while he ate. "I told you to see the sights."

Negi smiled. "You must really like the festival!"

The hanyo's cheeks flushed. He hated it when people said anything that made him sound childish or weak. "Well yeah. I don't like having to keep my tail and ears hidden all of the time." Negi gave him a slightly skeptical look. "Really! Besides I needed to get away from the room."

"I thought that you liked living with Chizuru-san?"

"I know that I would!" Kamo replied. He was now thinking in his dirty old man mode.

"She's fine. It's the scary blond one that I'm having trouble with."

"Ayaka-san? She isn't that bad."

"Of course not she likes you! The other night she threw a pan at my head!"

"Did you call her old again?"

"Well…you know…the words ancient and prehistoric may have come up a couple of times."

"You need to stop calling her old Kotarou-kun."

"Girls don't seem to like it when you call them old," Kamo agreed.

"You should learn that at a young age."

The two boys turned around to see who had suddenly joined in the conversation. Standing in front of them was an older boy with black hair styled in a pompadour. He had a handsome face and dark eyes that shined brightly. The young man was dressed entirely in black. Including a full length trench coat with the words '_May Law Fu Lau' _printed on the front in white.

"Gotokuji-san?!" Negi said in surprise. "It's good to see you!"

"What brings you here?" Kotarou asked.

"Just enjoying the scenery," he said waving his hand around. "The festival brings out the kid in me. What about you two?"

"Couldn't sleep," Negi answered. "I heard you finished seventh in the campus game. Congratulations."

"Yeah, I did okay."

"Kaoru-kun! Let's get some ice cream!"

"Didn't do as well as this one though." He pointed at the brunette who had suddenly come from nowhere to latch herself onto his arm.

Negi turned to look at the girl and his face split into a grin. "Yuuna-san?"

Yuuna turned to look at Negi and Kotarou. Her cheeks flushed brightly, bringing out the cat whiskers she was wearing. "Ne-Negi-kun! Wh-what brings you out here?!"

"Couldn't sleep. Are you two on a date?"

Yuuna blushed a dark crimson. "W-w-w-we're just hanging out!" She stammered terribly.

"Heh! Sh'right!" Kotarou scoffed.

"Oh look!" Yuuna cried so suddenly that it startled Negi. "A face painting booth!" Without another word she was off in a flash.

"Is she okay?"

Kaoru waved his hand. "She's fine. By the way guys, you may have fooled everyone else with the game but not me," he said with wink.

Negi, Kotarou, and Kamo turned around with stunned expressions on their faces. **"What?!"**

Kaoru laughed. "Please. Anyone who thinks what happened during the tournament and the campus game was all due to CGI has no observation skills." The boys tried their best to talk their way out of things but they were too busy panicking. "It was real wasn't it Negi-kun? The things that you did during the tournament. And the fight on the zeppelin? You're a mage aren't you? And you're an inu."

"Y-you know about inu?" Kotarou asked.

Negi stood up and started to wave his hands frantically. "Kaoru-san! You cannot tell anyone about this! If you do we could be in serious trouble!"

Kaoru laughed and patted him on the shoulder. "Relax guys. If I haven't told anyone yet, then I'm not going to."

The boys heaved a sigh of deep relief. "You just made things so much easier for us," Kamo said.

Kaoru jumped back and pointed to Kamo. "Yo man your rat talks!"

"I'm an ermine!" Kamo cried in exaggeration.

"S-sorry. Man you ermine talks!"

Kamo nodded and Negi chuckled a little. "Name's Kamo! Glad to meet you!" Kamo said, sticking out a furry paw.

"…Right," Kaoru replied. He shook hands (?) with Kamo just as Yuuna called out to him again. A smile appeared on his face again. "Well fellas, enjoy your night. The lady calls and I answer!" He said dramatically before running off.

"Thanks again Kaoru-san!" Negi waved. Kaoru turned and gave Negi wave before joining up with Yuuna.

"That was weird," Kamo replied.

Kotarou nodded in agreement with the ermine. "I wonder how many others noticed that it was a fake?"

Negi shook his head. "I hate to think badly about my students. But I think he's the only one."

After Kaoru's little visit the three of them continued to eat their food. When they were finished they started to tour around the festival. They got to do some of the things that they weren't able to do before. Not to mention that they were able to go about it at a nice leisurely pace. After playing some games and going onto to some of the rides the two of them decided to just walk around. Another attraction of the festival was to just walk around and watch the people. Some of them had some very interesting costumes and some of them were just outrageous. The three of them lapsed into conversation so that they didn't even know where they were heading.

It wasn't until they were near the world tree that Kotarou noticed something. He poked Negi on the shoulder and pointed ahead of them. "Isn't that Ku-nee-chan?" He asked.

Negi followed his finger and nodded. "Yeah. I think that it is."

Sitting on the bank of a pond was a young blond haired girl. Her clothes were tattered as if she had been in a fierce battle. And just a few seconds ago that was very true. Ku Fei was one of the people that often fought alongside Negi. That and of course she was his master in martial arts. Negi watched as she pulled her knees up to her chest and rested her head on top of them. If he didn't know any better, from here she looked a little depressed. Ku Fei wasn't the type to sit around on her own and mope. She was normally a very outgoing and friendly girl. So it stood to reason that Negi would worry about her being like this.

"She doesn't look too good," Kotarou replied.

Kamo patted Negi on the shoulder and pointed. "You should go and talk to her Aniki!"

"Wh-what?! I mean I'm worried but should I say?"

"Sorry man. I have no idea what girls are thinking," Kotarou replied.

Kamo leapt onto Kotarou's shoulder. "Neither do I."

"And you think that I do?!" Negi cried frantically.

"Probably!" Kotarou turned and ran off with a quick wave.

Negi groaned in exasperation. It wasn't like he didn't want to help Ku Fei. It was exactly the opposite. Just in situations like this he tended to make things worse. Deciding to try and help he repositioned his staff and walked towards Ku Fei.

Ku Fei dipped her bare feet in the cool water of the pond. Normally she would be out and enjoying the festival but tonight was different. Ku Fei was exhausted both physically and emotionally. During the attack on Chao she had offered to stay behind and fight a new prototype robot that Chao and Hakase had invented. Even with the help of Haruna the fight had been very exhausting. That was nothing compared to what she went through when she watched Negi fight Chao. Two of her best friends had been locked in what appeared at the time to be a battle to the death. During the entire fight she had been cheering for Negi to win but not to hurt Chao. The reason that she wanted Negi to win was because of what Chao's plan entailed. Her whole plan consisted of Negi getting hurt no matter how unintentional. It was something that Ku Fei could never forgive her for. Still she wished Chao hadn't left the way that she did.

The blond martial artist closed her eyes and leaned back on the ground. "Mind if I join you?"

Ku Fei's eyes opened and saw Negi standing over her. She started, a little surprised at seeing Negi out here. "N-Negi-bozu!" She jumped to her feet and scratched the back of her head nervously. "O-of course!"

Negi nodded but noticed her strange behavior. He sat his staff down and took a seat on the ground. Ku Fei took a seat next to him but didn't look at him. Neither of them broke the silence which seemed both tense and comfortable at the same time. Negi lay back on the ground, wincing slightly when his arm came into contact with a rock.

"You okay Negi-bozu?!"

Negi looked up and saw Ku Fei's emerald green eyes swimming in concern. "I'm fine," he said with a smile. "Just a little bit sore." He took in Ku Fei's profile and nodded. "I'm more worried about you." He had noticed that not only was she upset but she had a pretty nasty looking bruise on her left cheek.

Ku Fei laughed nervously and shook her head. "No need to worry about me. I'm just fine!"

Negi may not be the most observant ten year old in the world but he definitely caught that. He spent far too much time around Ku Fei to not be able to tell when she was lying. "Does it have to do with the battle we just had?" He noticed Ku Fei tense up and draw her knees to her chest again. Negi was going to try for a shot in the dark. "It has something to do with Chao-san?"

This time Ku Fei did look at Negi. Her big green eyes took on a sadness that he had never seen before. "Am I bad person Negi-bozu?" She asked so quietly that Negi had to strain to hear it.

"What do you mean?" Negi asked curiously.

"While you fought Chao I was thinking. About how much I hate her."

"…"

"I hated her for trying to hurt Negi-bozu." She swiped at some tears that were building in her eyes. "I still do hate her. But a part of me also wanted you to lose. Because then maybe she would stay. And I would still have my friend." A tear slipped down her cheek and fell to the ground. "I miss her. And now I feel like I betraying Negi-bozu!"

Before she could get any further she felt a weight on the top of her head. When she looked up she saw Negi standing over her. He had his hand planted firmly on her head and was mussing up her hair. It was the same thing that she did to him when he got upset during training.

"Listen to me Ku Fei-san," Negi said. "You are a good person. If you are mad at Chao-san, it's because it shows how much you care about me and the others." He smiled down at her and she returned it. "And I don't blame you for wanting Chao-san to win. She was your best friend. So don't feel like you betrayed me. I never would have gotten to her if you weren't there."

"I still fought against my best friend."

Negi smiled sympathetically at the young girl. He built up some magic in his right hand and reached over to the bruised cheek. The warmth from Negi's magic made her shudder a little. Slowly the bruise on her cheek started to fade. "And I'm sure that she knew why you fought against her. I know she doesn't blame you either. She wasn't the type of person." Finally the bruise had disappeared and Negi lowered his hand.

Ku Fei was trying to think of another reason to justify her current mood. Not being able to find one she dipped her hand in the water. "Why is Negi-bozu so smart?" She asked, splashing him with some of the water.

Negi chuckled. "Because I'm a teacher," he replied, splashing her back.

Ku Fei shielded herself from the water. She was about to retaliate when she noticed something. "Your hand!" She exclaimed.

Negi looked at his right hand and noticed that some blood was seeping out from under the bandage. "Well that's not good."

Ku Fei blinked in confusion. What he had just said was something more along the lines of what that Albireo guy would have said. She ripped off a piece of her already torn sash and moved closer to Negi. She gently took his hand and unwrapped the bloody bandage. Negi watched her undo the bandage with a surprised face. How could someone so strong and forceful at times be so gentle other times? When she had unwrapped the bandages she threw them to the side and gently tied the scarf around his wounded hand. While she tied it off she looked up at Negi and gave him a soft smile. _B-Bump! _Negi felt his heart speed up for no reason and heat flare in his cheeks.

"Are you okay Negi-bozu?" Ku Fei asked. She motioned towards his hand to make sure that she hadn't tied the makeshift bandage too tightly.

Negi blushed again but nodded. "Are you?"

Ku Fei nodded. "I'm better thanks to you." She slipped her shoes on with a small smile. When she turned back around there was a hand hovering above her.

"Then let's go and enjoy the rest of the festival." Negi smiled brightly. "Something tells me there's still a little magic left." He gave Ku Fei a charming wink that made her blush.

"I would love to." She accepted his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Maybe tonight wasn't going to be as bad as she thought.

* * *

"You want to go on the Ferris wheel?" Asuna asked. 

Setsuna turned to her friend and nodded. "Why not? You can get a good view from up there."

Asuna sighed and nodded. After all she was doing this for Setsuna or so she thought. The two of them walked over and stood in line for the ride. The Ferris wheel was rather large and had blink lights running up and down the spokes. When it was there turn the operator ushered them into one of the empty carriages. Setsuna was enjoying the ride for the most part. She loved the aerial view of the campus that the ride provided. It was much different than when she had been flying overhead with her wings. There was just one problem with the ride. Asuna hadn't been saying much to her while they walked around the festival together. Now all she was doing was sitting and staring blankly out of the carriage. After going around a couple of times the Ferris wheel came to a jolting halt.

"What the hell was that?!" Asuna asked angrily. Not exactly what Setsuna was looking for but it was something.

"I'm sure they are just letting someone else on the ride," Setsuna replied. She looked over the edge and saw the operator frantically pressing buttons. A sweat drop formed on her head and she said, "Of course I've been wrong before."

Asuna grumbled something and leaned back in her seat. There was a long period of silence between the two friends while the technicians tried to figure out what was wrong with the ride. Setsuna looked over and saw Asuna wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. It looked she was trying to hide it. Setsuna shuffled over in her seat so that she was sitting in front of Asuna. If she didn't act now then she may not get another chance.

"Asuna-san what's wrong?" She asked softly.

"Nothing!" Asuna said in a tearful voice. She turned so that most of her back was toward Asuna.

"Come on Asuna-san!" She placed her hand on the girl's shoulder but Asuna shrugged it off. "Please. I'm your friend Asuna-san. Please tell me what's wrong." She knelt down on the floor of the carriage and put her hand on Asuna's knee. "I don't like it when you cry."

Asuna slowly turned around to look at Setsuna. Tears slowly fell from her mismatched eyes. She didn't know what it was but something caused her to break down in that instant. She burst into tears and pulled her knees up to block her face. Setsuna smiled sadly and sat next to her on the seat.

"Come one. Just tell me what's wrong."

"…E-Everything!" Asuna sobbed. "T-Takahata-sensei (sniff) rejected (hic) me! I c-ouldn't (hic) help (hic) Negi!" She dried her tears on her sleeve. "I could-could have really hurt (sniff) you!" The rest of what she was about to say had been drown out by tears.

"No!" Setsuna said quickly. She reached over and began to rub Asuna's back. "Negi-sensei did need your help! He never would have made it as far as he did without you. And besides I-I couldn't deal with Chao-san either!"

"I'm pathetic!" Asuna cut in. "Takahata-sensei rejected me!"

"You-you can't let Takahata-sensei get you so worked up!" She said desperately. " Anyone would be lucky to have you Asuna-san!" Asuna blinked and looked at Setsuna skeptically. "No really! You're fun, nice and p-pretty!" She added, while blushing a light shade of pink.

Asuna was too upset to notice that Setsuna was blushing. "What about you! You must hate me! I coulda' killed you!" There was a pause and then she added, "I'm terrible!"

Setsuna got angry at hearing Asuna talk badly about herself. She grabbed the collar of her shirt and pulled her so that they were face to face. Normally she never would have been so hands on but Asuna was really starting to scare her.

"You are not a bad person!" Seeing Asuna cower back in surprise made her feel bad. She released the other girl and her face softened into an almost teasing smile. "Silly baka!" She scolded and playfully whacked her on the head. "I told you before that it would take more than that to hurt me. Besides if I hated you why would I have invited you to come with me tonight?" She opened one eye and kept it on Asuna.

A small smile crept over Asuna's face. "Y-You don't hate me?" She asked with a sniff. Setsuna shook her head and Asuna smiled. She didn't know what took over her but she launched herself at Setsuna and threw her arms around her. "Thank you Setsuna-chan!"

Setsuna blushed and put her arm around Asuna. "You're welcome. I-I just hate it when someone I care about cries. I'm not very good at giving advice but I can listen. I-if you ever need to talk please come to me."

Asuna nuzzled her shoulder but didn't let go of Setsuna. "I will! I'm glad I came out with you tonight Setsuna-chan."

"So am I." She placed her head on top of Asuna's and held her close so that she couldn't see the blush on her face. Asuna was still crying a little bit so Asuna gently rocked her back and forth.

"Setsuna-chan?" Asuna asked quietly.

"Hm?"

"Can we get some ice cream after this?"

Setsuna chuckled at the quiet childlike question. "Sure."

* * *

"Thank you for coming with me Kazumi-chan, Sayo-chan!" Konoka said happily as she skipped down the halls of the dorms. 

Kazumi shook her head at the other girl's childishness. It was one of the reasons that Kazumi liked hanging out with Konoka. The brunette was very refreshing to have around. "No problem."

"You two didn't have to walk all of this way with me though! Isn't your room in the other direction?" She asked curiously.

"Well we couldn't let you walk back alone," Kazumi replied. "It's getting late out. We wanted to make sure you were safe. Right Sayo-chan?"

"Ri-right!" The ghost said. She was floating just behind Kazumi and gripping the girls shoulder out of fear of the darkness.

Konoka giggled at how cute she found Sayo to be. "Well thank you! That's sweet of you!"

"I like to think that I have my moments," Kazumi laughed. As the two of them approached Konoka's room Kazumi sped up so that she fell into step with the other girl. "Thanks for coming with us tonight. I can't remember the last time I had so much fun!"

"That's because you work to hard!" Konoka scolded. "You need some time for yourself."

"The story is more important than fun." They reached the door and Konoka fumbled around in her pocket for her key.

"But you're more important than the story. It's not good for you to work yourself to death." Konoka said before turning to unlock the door.

Kazumi blinked in surprise. It had been a long time since anyone told her that she was important. Not even her own father ever told her that. In his eyes she might as well have never even existed. When Konoka opened the door she gasped, drawing Kazumi's attention.

"Wh-what is it?!" Sayo asked in a scared voice. She floated up behind Kazumi and next to Konoka. "Wow."

Negi was sitting in the room along with a lot of other people. Kamo was on his shoulder and was talking animatedly with Kotarou. Yue, who they had run into on the way back, was talking with Negi and Ku Fei. Over on Konoka's bed Setsuna and Asuna were chatting away quite happily. Of course this would have made just about anyone else mad to have all of these people in their room late at night. Konoka on the other hand seemed overjoyed.

"Slumber party!" She cried. "Come on!" Without warning she grabbed Kazumi and pulled her in. When Sayo followed she closed the door. "Hiya everyone! Secchan, Asuna where did everyone come from?!" She asked excitedly.

Negi smiled at Konoka's childish behavior and the current fight that Kotarou was having with Yue. As soon as Kazumi had come into the room Kamo had run off to talk 'business' with her. Negi smiled and leaned back against the couch with his eyes close. He felt someone sit next to him and he opened his eyes. He turned and saw Ku Fei looking at him with sparkling emerald eyes.

"Are you okay?" She asked.

Negi gave her a heartwarming smile and nodded. "Yeah. You?"

Ku Fei looked round the room at all of her friends and smiled. "Yep. I think I am!"

Negi smirked and lapsed into conversation with the blond. Time passed by but Negi didn't move from his spot on the floor. For once in the past three days, he was really happy. Kamo, Yue and Kotarou were all passed out on the couch. Kazumi and Sayo were sharing the loft with Setsuna and Konoka and Asuna had their own beds. Negi and Ku Fei fell asleep against the couch and were using each other as pillows. None of them knew how long the peaceful moment would last but that was okay. All that mattered to them now was that if only for a second, they were happy.

**End Chapter**

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**Well that is the first chapter down. Just an introduction but I thought that it was pretty decent. Anyways give me a review and let me know what you think! Hope you enjoyed it! Ciao!**


	2. Chapter 2: The Twin Snakes

**Well here is the second chapter. Sorry, I ran into alot of problems. First my laptop was stolen and then my home computer crashed so I had to start alot of my stuff from scratch. Anyways, to those that are still reading this I hope that you enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Negima. In fact I own very little except for a chubby quadriped known as Bozo.

* * *

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**Chapter 2: The Twin Snakes**

Ku Fei slept peacefully that night, the first in a long while. For once she didn't have to wake up because she felt uncomfortable in her bed. She didn't feel too warm or too cold. There was no need for her to feel as though she had to be ready for anything. Since she often got challenged in the early mornings by other campus fighters she had become slightly paranoid. Most importantly she had a nightmare free night for a change. That was often the cause her sometimes extreme insomnia. Ku Fei had been plagued by nightmares for over three weeks now. The nightmares were very vivid and lifelike; often she would awake in the middle of the night with a scream of terror. Often she was left a nervous wreck just after she would have a nightmare. Ku Fei hated the feeling of weakness that she was left with after waking up from a nightmare. Shivering and sweating like a coward, oh how she hated it! Last night though she had no problem. So then why was there this person or thing shaking her, trying purposefully to break her peaceful shell?

Setsuna shook her roommate gently but desperately. Normally Ku Fei was awake by now because of the nightmares she suffered. Setsuna never understood how the younger girl could put up with it. Of course she had quite a few nightmares of her own but she had always thought Ku Fei's to be worse. It made her happy to see that she had gotten a decent sleep for once but she needed to wake up now. If they didn't hurry they very well could end up being late for class. Just to make her job harder, Ku Fei still had her head nestled against Negi. While this was cute in its own way she didn't want to wake Negi unless absolutely necessary.

"Ku!" Setsuna whispered harshly. She gave the small girl another shake. Ku Fei's cheek twitched slightly. Instead of waking up she threw her arm over Negi and pulled him closer as if he were a teddy bear. Again Setsuna found this to be very adorable and had Konoka been awake she would have squealed in delight. "Ku you have to wake up!"

Ku Fei swiped weakly at the air and muttered something about cookies. Setsuna shook her head. "Wake up Ku!" She hated to do it but she gave the girl a sharp poke in the ribs. This seemed to do the trick as she started to stir.

Ku Fei slowly forced her emerald green eyes to open. The room appeared blurry and a little unfamiliar. She turned her head to the side and was barely able to make out Setsuna. "Se-Setsuna?" She mumbled wearily. She rubbed her eyes and yawned. "Why did you wake me?"

"We slept over in Ojou-sama's room," Setsuna whispered. "We overslept and we have to get ready for class."

"But I was having a good sleep," she whined softly.

Now, it wasn't like Setsuna to tease anyone but she found this too tempting. "You're telling me?" She asked, pointing her finger at Negi.

"Huh?" Ku Fei gave her roommate a confused look before looking to where Setsuna was pointing. Her eyes fell onto Negi and the arm that was still wrapped around him. "Heeek!" Was the strangled kind of squeal that escaped her lips. Her cheeks flushed a deep red and she scrambled away from the sleeping boy.

"What's wrong?" Setsuna asked, genuinely perplexed. "He is only ten years old."

Ku Fei glared up at Setsuna. "Is that what you said when you kissed him?"

This time it was Setsuna's turn to blush. She fiddled her thumbs and glared down at the young girl. "Come on! W-we have to go!" Setsuna grabbed Ku Fei by the hand and forcefully dragged her from the room.

Luckily Ku Fei managed to grab her shoes before Setsuna was able to drag her to the door. "St-stop that!" Ku Fei hissed. Setsuna let go of her hand so that that the fighter could slip her shoes on. While she did so she took a look around the room and saw that all of the others had indeed left. "Do you really think that he will be okay?"

"Negi-sensei?" The swords girl's eyes shifted over to look at her sleeping sensei. Without Ku Fei as support he had fallen over and was now asleep on the ground. "I think he'll be fine. Why?" She asked with a smile.

Ku Fei finished messing with her shoes and shook her head. "No idea. Just have one of those feelings." She stood up and walked over to Setsuna. The two friends took one last glance at their sleeping friends before disappearing out of the door.

**30 Minutes Later**

"Where is my vest?!" Asuna cried. The redhead threw herself to the ground to search under the beds. "I can't find my vest!"

Konoka was too distracted by trying to frantically brush hair to listen to Asuna. "Did you look in your top drawer?" Negi asked, running into the bathroom.

"Of course I did you little brat!" Asuna cried after him. After making sure that he was nowhere to be seen she quickly ran over to her dresser. She searched the top drawer only to find it devoid of vests. "Arrgh! Where is it?"

"Ane-san! Ane-san!"

Asuna turned around and saw Kamo dragging a red vest out of the closet below the loft. Her mismatched eyes lit up and she ran over to retrieve the vest from the ermine. "Finally I found a use for you! The clothes searching ermine!" She cried dramatically.

Kamo sweat dropped. "Well I like to think I have my moments." Before Kamo knew it he was being lifted into the air by Negi. "Whoa Aniki! Slow down!"

Negi looked at him and shook his head frantically. "We can't slow down Kamo-kun! Were already late!"

"Not again!" Konoka cried. She grabbed her bag off of the floor and dashed after Negi. "Asuna hurry up and come on!"

"Wait for me!" Asuna tried to run after them while buttoning up her vest. Unfortunately she didn't notice a book on the floor and tripped, falling face first into the ground. "It's going to be one of those days," she grumbled.

* * *

"I think that we're going to make it!" Konoka cheered happily. 

Negi, Konoka and Asuna had run as fast as they could from the dorms to their class. They all knew that Konoka was trying her best to be optimistic but they were late. There was no cutting their losses on this one. They were definitely late no matter how they looked at it. Finally the three of them made it to the classroom all out of breath.

"Ha! We made it and no one noticed that we were late!" Asuna cried.

"Not quite."

"Ooooh! Busted!" Kamo said with a fist pump.

Standing in front of them was a young man dressed in a dark blue suit. He was a very pretty young man, almost to the point of looking like a girl. His short brown hair was worn down and it framed his handsome face perfectly. Pale blue eyes shone out from behind the locks of chocolate hair with amusement written all over them. His name was Mishima Seruhiko and he was one of Negi's fellow mage teachers. (A.N: I have no idea what Seruhiko's real last name is so I just threw one in!) Negi smiled up at the older teacher in what he hoped to be an innocent way.

"We can't be all that late?" He asked. Seruhiko just smiled and showed him his watch. Negi glanced at the watch and his eyes widened just a little bit. "Huh? 25 minutes?!" Negi scratched the back of his head. "…That's pretty late!"

Seruhiko just shook his head in amusement. "Will you three ever make it to class on time?"

"Well, it happened once," Asuna replied with a pout.

"Yeah sure it did," he said in disbelief. The young man sighed and shook his head. "I've watched them for you and I don't know how you put up with them Negi-kun. Anyways, better get in there before Nitta-san finds out you were late!"

The girls smiled and bowed to their teacher before rushing into class. Negi bowed and gave Seruhiko a gracious smile. "Thank you Seruhiko-san!"

Seruhiko grimaced but nodded. "Your welcome. But don't call me Seruhiko-san." He turned around and started to walk down the hall. "It makes me feel old!"

Negi and Kamo both smirked. Being a young man himself, Seruhiko was able to identify more with the students and was very popular with them. Negi somehow knew that they weren't going to get into trouble. Taking some more time to compose himself, he finally turned around and walked into the classroom. The girls were their usual rambunctious selves with the exception of a select few. All of which preferred to keep to themselves. A couple of the girls greeted him on his way to his desk and he gave them greetings in return. He looked out at the class and noticed with regret that there was an empty seat. He shook it off and walked over to his seat. He placed his staff so that it leaned against the desk, took a seat and then took out the class roster. Kamo jumped off his shoulder and sat down on the desk.

"Alright everyone listen for your name!" Negi called out over the noise. "The only thing that showed they heard him was a slight nod from everyone. "Sayo-san!"

The ghost girl raised a hand and cheerfully called out, "Here Negi-sensei!"

Negi smiled and marked her present. "Yuuna-san?"

"Over here Negi-kun!" Yuuna called out happily.

"Kazumi-san!"

"Yo Negi-kun!" The redhead called happily. She gave him her usual salute and pantomimed kiss.

Negi blushed slightly and continued on calling the roll for class. When he reached Chao's name he paused for just a second. His throat tightened and he decided not to call out her name. However, he didn't cross her name off of the list either. When he reached Asuna's name he stopped and looked over at the redhead. Whatever was bothering her last night seemed to disappear while she talked to Setsuna and Konoka. Negi smiled and continued on calling the roll, when he reached Ku Fei's name he paused again. He looked up and caught his master's eye right away. Ku Fei simply smiled and nodded. Then she pointed to him as if to ask of he was alright. Negi smiled back at her and nodded. When he was finished he stood up and tried to gain the attention of his class.

"Alright everyone settle down now! Settle down!" The class quieted almost instantly and smiled at their teacher. "How did you all fare in the festival?"

"Great!" A redhead near the front of the class shouted. Negi smiled at Sakurako and motioned for her to continue. "We had a great concert and the haunted house was a huge success."

"Yeah. Thanks to Negi-kun and Kotarou-kun dressing up in those cute outfits!" Yuuna added in.

Misa nodded her head. "Especially the mini ski-"

"That's not important!" Negi cried. His panicked tone of voice made the cheerleaders as well as Yuuna giggle. Negi took a moment to calm himself before continuing. "I hear that some of you did very well during the campus wide game. Yuuna-san even finished in fourth place."

Yuuna blushed in embarrassment while the rest of the class cheered for her. When the praising died down Negi noticed a hand raised in the air. "Yes Ayaka-san?" Negi asked.

Yukihiro Ayaka was the class representative for 3-A. She was a beautiful blond haired girl that sat in the front row of the class. She had pale green eyes that always had a sparkle in them. Ayaka was a little temperamental and she had the reputation of being a bit of a suck up. Especially since she seemed to have a huge crush on Negi. However, once you got to know her she was one of the sweetest girls in the world. Ayaka was also rather smart as she was one of the top scorers for academics in her year. Ayaka lowered her head, this might not be the smartest question to ask but it had been driving her crazy all day.

"The campus game was just that right? A game?" She clarified. Negi swallowed hard but managed to give her a nod. "Then why did Chao-san say she had to leave?"

The small buzz of whispering that was flowing around the class died off into silence. Negi sighed sadly and stood up from his seat. He had anticipated this question to come up sooner or later and had prepared a simple but believable story for those that didn't know the truth. He had just been hoping in his heart that the question would never come up; he hated to have to lie to his students. Negi walked around to the front of his desk and leaned back against it.

"The truth is," he began in a sad voice, "that Chao-san had to go back to her home in China. Her family is going through a terrible time right now. I would like to tell you the exact reason for her leaving but I made a promise to Chao-san. She wanted it to stay between the two of us and I agreed."

Ayaka nodded. "Then we should respect her reason for leaving."

A girl with glasses in the back of the class nodded. She had long brown hair that fell down to her mid back. "I think she's right. We should throw a party in Chao-san's name!"

"That isn't what I meant!"

"I think that Paru-san has the right idea!" Asuna shouted.

There was a general uproar of approval among the class. Negi was about to calm them down when he felt someone tap his arm. He looked down at the desk and saw Kamo staring up at him. "Just let them be Aniki. They miss her."

Negi looked at Kamo skeptically. "You just want to have a party." He whispered so that no one else would notice.

"Yeah like you want to go back to teaching so soon!" Kamo accused.

"…I guess that one little party wouldn't hurt." Negi turned to address the class and saw that they were already pulling out cups, food and drinks seemingly from nowhere. "They already had this planned," Negi sighed. "Okay everyone! You can have a party but you have to keep it down!" He called over the din.

Asuna smiled brightly as she walked in between Setsuna and Konoka. Class was over and the three friends were heading back towards the dorms. After her little talk with Setsuna last night the young redhead was feeling much more chipper. Konoka was currently telling them some kind of story that she was only paying half attention to. As Asuna glanced over at the two brunettes her mismatched eyes were caught by Setsuna's own earth brown orbs. The hanyo gave her friend a small smile and a wink. Asuna quickly averted her gaze when a small tingle ran up and down her spine. She had no idea what caused the tingle and she wasnt sure that she wanted to know. It was just a little confusing to say the least.

"Asuna?"

The redhead jolted and turned around to see Konoka staring directly at her. "Huh? What?" Asuna asked cluelessly.

"I said that we are going to wait for Negi-kun. Are you okay?" Konoka asked worriedly.

"Yeah I'm fine!"

"...Okay. I'm going to go get us some drinks." Konoka said, pointing to drink machine not too far away. "Do you want something?"

"A bottle of water would be great."

"Setchan?"

Setsuna shook her head. "No thank you ojou-sama," Setsuna replied politely. "I have to go and help Ku with something."

"Oh. Will we see you for dinner later?" Konoka asked. Setsuna smiled and nodded. "Good! Please bring Ku-chan to!"

"Alright ojou-sama." Setsuna ignored the glare that Konoka sent her way as she walked towards the drink machine. Setsuna turned around to see that Asuna had turned her back to them. "Are you sure you're okay Asuna-san?" Setsuna asked.

Asuna turned around with a smile plastered on her face. "You guys worry too much," she said. "I'll see you later okay?"

"Right!" Setsuna smiled at her one last time before running off in the direction of the gym.

Asuna smiled after the retreating girl. Setsuna had come a long way since the trip to Kyoto. It seemed like only yesterday that she was sitting in the back of the class ignoring everyone. True she still had some problems when it came to socializing but she was getting better. Asuna turned around and jumped back; standing in front of her were two men that weren't there a second ago. The taller of the two had shoulder length black hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. His ice blue eyes seemed so cold that just looking into them could freeze your soul. The shorter man had short spiky brown hair and limpid green eyes. He had a scar than ran down the left side of his cheek. The trenchcoats that the two men were wearing came down to mid-calf and were black in color. Still, the most menacing thing about the two men were the rings that they wore on their left index fingers. The insignia on the rings were two silver snakes that were joined together at the tail. In the middle of the ring was a small emerald that each of the snakes appeared to be trying to eat. Something was a little off about the men but if they meant her harm then Asuna couldn't sense it.

"I'm sorry for startling you ane-san," the taller man said. His voice was calm and mellow, not at all what Asuna had been expecting.

The shorter man nodded in agreement with his partner. "It was not our intention. We were just wondering if you could help us?" He asked in a slightl higer tone of voice.

Asuna sighed a breath of relief. Even though they didn't mean her any harm the two men were just a little intimidating. "Of course. What do you need?" She asked politely.

"We're looking for Takahata Takamichi," the taller man replied. "We have a message for him."

"Takahata-sensei? He's probably still in class. It's that building over there. When you get inside there should be someone that can help you."

"Thank you." The two men bowed in unison. Before Asuna could ask them any questions the two of them turned and with a flourish of their coats were on their way.

"...Wierd."

"Hey Asuna. Who were those guys?"

"What guys?" The two girls turned around and saw Negi standing there with Kamo. "I didn't see anyone."

"Those guys." Konoka turned to point at the men but they were already gone. "That's wierd," she said.

Asuna shuddered. "I don't know. They wanted to talk to Takahata-sensei. They were creepy, especially that ring of theirs."

"What ring?" Kamo asked curiously.

"I don't know!" Asuna almost snapped. "It was like these two snakes and there was a stone and-eww!"

The air around Negi suddenly felt stifling. A ball of ice was forming in the pit of his stomach and from the look of it Kamo felt the same way. "Was the stone green?" Negi asked in a whisper.

"What?"

"Was the stone green?!"

"Don't yell at me brat! But yeah. And it looked like the snakes were trying to eat it."

That confirmed it and Negi felt a cold shiver attack his spine. "Takamichi, he's in trouble."

"What? What do you mean he's in trouble?" Konoka asked.

Negi gave Kamo to Konoka and bent down close to the ground. "Get back to the dorms and stay there!" He ordered Asuna and Konoka.

"Negi what-"

Before Asuna could finish her sentence Negi took off down the street, being powered by his magic. He turned the corner at top speed not even bothering to slow down. If those two men were the people he thought they were then he had to get to Takamichi fast. Still what could they hope to gain by targeting Takamichi? Who sent them? Those questions left Negi as he felt the familiar feeling of bein drenched in ice water. It was the same feeling he got last night when he was leaving the dorms. His eyes shifted upward and he saw the two men standing on top of one of the buildings. Making sure no one was watching Negi charged the magic power in his legs and jumped high into the air. He landed gracefully and immediately called out to the men.

"Stop right there!" Negi said the first words that came to mind. The two men turned around and Negi had to admit that they were intimidating but they weren't the ones sending the shivers down his spine. "Who are you?"

"Our business isn't with you kid," the shorter man said. "Get lost."

"I know what you are. I won't let you hurt Takamichi!" Negi said bravely.

"And what's your name bozu?"

"My name is Negi Springfield!"

The taller man arched his eyebrow in slight surprise. "No wonder I sensed such a strong magical signature coming from you. My name is Hideo. And this is Shinji." Hideo sighed and shook his head. "As much as I hate to say it, Takamichi is our only target." He turned around and Shinji followed him toward the edge of the roof.

Negi leapt over their heads and landed in front of the two men cutting their escape off. "It seems he won't let us go," Shinji said. A strange glint entered his eyes. "I don't think we have a choice in the matter senpai."

Hideo sighed. "You will not let us do our job?"

"...No." Negi's voice cracked slightly. But he wasn't going to back down. At the least he could slow them down.

"I see. Then we have no choice." As soon as the words left Hideo's mouth the two of them jumped back and Negi drew the staff from his back. "First things first."

Hideo and Shinji raised their hands into the air. Negi could feel the air around him start to change and he gripped his staff tighter. If they were planning on attacking him then they were taking their sweet time with it. A second later and anti-magic barrier appeared around the roof. Negi recognized the barrier as one to keep magic from escaping and humans from seeing anything unnatural. The fact that they would go through the trouble to put up a barrier surprised Negi and it showed on his face.

"We're assassains," Shinji smirked. "We can't have any collateral damage."

"Shinji, finish this quick. We don't really have the time for this."

"Right!"

Negi raised his arms up to defend and tensed the muscles in his leg. _'I have to finish this fast if I want to beat these guys,'_ Negi thought._ 'I'm still not a hundred percent.'_

Shinji gathered a mass of magical energy around his hand that started to form a sphere of water. Before Negi had the chance to react he found himself encased in a watery prison. The smirk that formed on Shinji's face disappeared as quickly as it came when the image of Negi disappeared. Negi reappeared behind Shinji and swung his staff in a horizontal arch. Shinji blocked the attack with his arm and Hideo moved in from the side to attack. Negi countered Hideo's punch. He pulled the taller man to the ground and brought his right heel up into Shinji's chin. Just as both men hit the ground he leapt back so that he was a few feet away from them.

Hideo and Shinji climbed to their feet wearing identical sneers. _"_So I see that you do live up to your reputation," Hideo complimented.

Negi smirked in a cocky fashion. Something that he never would have done prior to his fight with Chao. "I try my best."

"Well your best won't be good enough this time bozu!" Shinji growled angrily. Hideo tried to stop his companion but he was a little too late._ "Sagitta Magica: Undecim Glacialis!"_

_"__Sagitta Magica: Undecim Lucius!"_

The magical arrows swirled around and collided in mid air, creating an explosion that kicked up dust. Negi winced and stepped back preparing to strike with his staff. Before he had the chance to react Shinji dove through the dust and knocked his staff from his hand. Luckily his follow up attack was much slower and Negi was able to block the knee aimed at his stomach. The younger mage ducked and danced to the side, swiping out with the back of his right hand. Shinji ducked under the blow and retaliated with a fist that was aimed at Negi's mid section. Negi slapped the attak away and hit Shinji with a well placed double palm strike to the sternum. The blow knocked Shinji to the ground and sent him tumbling so that he ended up at the feet of his master.

Hideo sighed and lifted his kohai to his feet. "I tried to warn you baka!" Shinji glared at his senpai but didnt dare to speak back to him. "We have to end this now!" He raised his hand into the air.

Shinji placed the palm of his hand against Hideo's and smirked. "It's over for you now kid."

Expecting a magical attack of some kind Negi put up a barrier and prepared to dodge the blast. Instead of shooting anything at him right away the two men began to build up energy. A red aura gathered around the two men and they lowered their hands so that they were pointing at Negi. In a flash the two of them disappeared. Negi's eyes widened until he felt a sharp blow to the stomach lift him off of his feet. Another blow to the back knocked him forward onto the ground. Negi quickly rolled over onto his back but there was nothing there. A hand closed around his throat and threw him high into the air. Before his mind could register exactly what was happening a clubbing blow sent him hurtling back towards the rooftop. Negi hit the ground hard with cry of pain issuing from his lips. He felt the wind around him pick up and he dodged to the side to avoid what would have surely been a fatal blow.

When Negi looked up he saw Hideo and Shinji occupying the spot he had just been in. The red aura still surrounded them, making them look very frightening. It was then that an idea entered his head. Not only were they the ones hitting him but they were doing it through sheer speed. Unlike him they didn't need to use a shundo to move extremely fast. Negi looked around trying to decipher what it was that gave them their extreme speed. Then it hit him like a ton of bricks. Their hands were still pressed together with some magic inbetween them. Obviously the combination of their magi was allowing them to move so fast. If he could just break that connection then he would have a chance.

"I think that he realizes our technique," Hideo said. His tone sounded almost impressed. "Too bad he won't be able to hit us."

Negi lifted his arm to attack with Sagitta Magica but a sharp pain made him lower his arm. The makeshift bandage Ku Fei had given him last night was still there and so was the throbbing pain. Apparently he was pushing his limit with his injuries. Before he could contemplate his next move a knee to the shin lifted him off of the ground. Hideo grabbed him by the throat in mid air. He leered at Negi for a second before sending punch to his chest that sent him flying. The punch was so powerful that it knocked him to the other side of the roof and shattered his shield all in one go. Negi felt the air leave him when he hit the ground and groaned in pain.

"Negi!"

"A-Asuna-san?" He asked through half lidded eyes. He knew that the longer the fight when on the less chance he had of beating the two men. Especially if his vision was fading.

"Negi-kun are you alright?!" Konoka cried tearfully. She knelt down beside him and tried to help him up.

"What are you doing here?" Negi asked weakly. "Why did you let them come Kamo-kun?"

Kamo scratched his head nervously and looked down at Negi from his perch on Konoka's shoulder. "Once I explained they rushed after you. I couldn't stop them!"

"What were you thinking you could have been killed!" Asuna scolded.

"Shut up!" Shinji cried in his high voice garnering their attention. "I'm tired of this. You're dead kid!"

"Asuna-san, Konoka-san! Get out of here!" Negi warned one last time.

Unfortunately neither Konoka or Asuna heeded the warning. Asuna reached for her card to activate her pactio but was too slow to be of any use. She found herself being lifted off of her feet a hand closed tightly around her throat. Asuna thrashed around as hard as she could but Hideo's iron grip was too strong for her. Negi cried out and tried to help her but his left leg gave out and he found himself unable to move. Another problem presented itself when Negi felt a another presence above him. Shinji was sailing through the air with a katana poised to strike him down. Negi tried to move but it was no use. Shinji fell faster and faster until he was almost ontop of Negi. He pulled his sword back, intent on stabbing the younger mage. Negi panicked and closed his eyes, waiting for the excruciating pain that was sure to follow. He never felt the pain but a cry forced him to open his eyes.

"K-Konoka-nee-san!" Kamo cried out.

Negi's eyes snapped open and saw that the tip of the sword stopped just an inch from his face. He looked up and saw Konoka staring down at him with pain clearly etched on her face. Negi's eyes widened and his face went blank with horror. Blood dripped off of the tip of the blade before it slid back out. Konoka lurched forward before falling completely. Out of instinct Negi was able to catch her in his arms and lower her to the ground. Shinji smirked and leapt back with his sword raised. Seeing what happened Hideo dropped Asuna and jumped back at his subordinate's side. Asuna, though barely able to breathe, scrambled over to Konoka's side.

"Konoka!" Asuna cried. She lifted the brunette's head and pulled it towards her lap. "Konoka answer me!" She shouted through tear filled eyes.

Konoka's soft brown eyes fluttered open, tears streaking down her cheeks. "It burns," she whispered.

Asuna let the tears fall from her eyes as she nodded. "I-I know."

"Put pressure on the wound!" Kamo nearly shouted. He climbed on top of Konoka and pressed himself against the wound on her stomach; he was trying his best to prevent at least a little blood loss. "Aniki! She needs..."

Kamo trailed off when he looked up at his big brother. Negi was staring blankly down at the blood that had collected on his hands. The crimson sheen seemed to entrance the young mage but when he lifted his head it was a different story. There was a fire growing in his rown eyes that was frightening. It was the same look he had in his eyes when he fought with Wilhelm. Kamo looked around in worry. Konoka was injured, Asuna was panicking to much to be any help and now Negi was like this. What were they going to do now?

"Kamo-kun...go get Konoka-san some help." The voice didn't belong to Negi but more to something inside him. Perhaps it was his power that was speaking to them. Asuna looked up at him like a lost child. Negi grabbed the front of her shirt and pulled her closer to him. "I'll be fine. Get Konoka-san out of here!"

Having someone talk to her that way seemed to snap Asuna out of her helpless state. Asuna scooped Konoka up in her arms and cradled her against her chest. She gave Negi one last concerned look before she leapt off of the rooftop. Negi turned to face his opponents with a glare on his face that would freeze even the most cold hearted person. Neither of them seemed to notice that he was back up as they seemed to be arguing.

"Shinji you fool!" Hideo cried. "What were you doing stabbing that girl. If she dies we're in big trouble!"

"Who cares?! The bitch got in the way!" Shinji laughed.

"Baka!"

Shinji was about to respond but Hideo was suddenly thrown to the ground. Out of instinct his head shifted to the side so he never saw the fist aimed at his mid section. The force of the blow knocked him high into the air. He was barely able to open his eyes to see Negi below him, gathering magical energy in the palm of his raised hand. "Jovis Tempestas Fulguralis!" A powerful beam of concentrated lightning and wind wind erupted from Negi's hand with thunderous blast. Shinji's eyes widened in shock as the beam hit him dead center in the chest. Shinji tried to focus his magic into a barrier but it was no use. The beam of magical energy ripped through his shield as if it were made of paper. The blast punched a hole the size of a softball in his chest silencing his screams. Shinji's body tumbled through the air and hit the roof with a thud where it lay unmoving.

Hideo lifted his head giving it a shake to cure his dizziness. That shoulder tackle had definitely sent him for a loop. How did the kid get that much stronger so quickly? His eyes drifted around and caught sight of a huddled mass lying near one of the roofs air vents. Hideo quickly sat up on his knees when he realized that figure was that of his partner. Blood pooled around Shinji's body and Hideo knew that he was dead. Before he could stand up on his feet he suddenly found himself having trouble breathing. His blue eyes looked up and saw Negi staring down at him with one of the coldest looks he had ever seen. Negi squeezed harder forcing him to gasp desperately for air. Hideo tried to struggle back or use his magic but he could feel conciousness escaping him quickly. Suddenly Negi's grip began to loosen and when Hideo looked up he saw the young mage collapse on the ground. As he gasped for air he could barely make out the new presence standing in front of him. Looking up he saw the original target of his mission standing over him.

Takamichi glared down at the mage in front of him. He punched Hideo sharply in the side of his head, knocking him out. Takamichi glanced around the scene from behind his glasses. His ice blue eyes took in the sight of the dead man that lay not far from them. His gaze traveled down to Negi and he shook his head.

"What happened here Negi?" Takamichi asked softly. He began to walk around the roof cleaning up the mess.

On the roof of a seperate building a lone figure in a black cloak watched the fight closely. The cloak fell down to her ankles and the hood shrouded her face in shadow. On the back of the cloak was what appeared to be a silver tiger. The tiger appeared to be curled around what looked like a skull. A small smile rose on the face of the cloaked person.

"What do you think master?" Asked a clearly feminine voice.

"Perfect," said a second voice with no owner. The voice seemed to come from nowhere and everywhere at the sime time. It sounded a little high pitched and raspy to the young woman's ears. "He would have killed them both if not for Takahata-san."

"Should I follow through with the plan master?" The cloaked woman asked.

"No Azumi. As strong as you are, Takamichi could defeat you with relative ease. We will wait until he is alone."

"Yes master," Azumi answered. "Negi Springfield, you will be ours." With a wave of her hand Azumi disappeared in a cloud of grey smoke.

* * *

A void of darkness was all that Negi could see in front of him. Of course that was because he had his eyes closed. He didn't want to open them. Shooting pains already coursed through his head and if he opened his eyes it probably would become unbearable. Still, he needed to figure out his surroundings. The last thing he remembered was fighting on top of the roof of one of the school buildings. Was he dead? That was a stupid assumption since he could still feel his heart beating. What happened to him though? The last thing that he remembered was Konoka falling into his arms! Konoka! Where was she?! He had to make sure that she was okay. His eyes snapped open and the pain in his head made him cry out. 

"Negi, you're awake!"

That sounded like Asuna! At least he knew that she was safe. A pair of arms found their way around his neck and several more found his waist and squeezed them tight. As his eyes adjusted Negi was able to better make out the group of people that surrounded him. Asuna was hugging him around the neck and Setsuna was holding him around his waist. A purple haired girl that he recognized as Nodoka and another blue haired girl that was obviously Yue stared at him happily from behind Asuna. Kotarou and a very tall girl he was able to recognize as Kaede smirked at him from across the room. Kazumi and Haruna sat over near one of the beds with relieved looks on their faces. Sitting at the foot of the couch was Ku Fei. She smiled back at Negi, grateful that he was awake. Negi looked at each of them in turn, his mind trying to process his surroundings. A couch and a bed meant that he was back in the dorms. But how did he get there?

"Wh-where am I?" He asked wearily. All of the figures were still blurry until Asuna placed his glasses on him.

"You're back in our dorm," Asuna replied.

"Takamichi-san brought you back here," Kotarou replied. He walked over and stood next to the couch.

"What happened to me?" Negi asked quietly. "My head feels like it's on fire!" He groaned and put his head in his hands. None of the girls seemed to want to answer him so he moved on to a more pressing question. "What about Konoka-san?"

The group of girls moved to the side so that he could see the beds more clearly. Konoka was lying on the bottom bunk fast asleep. Her hair fanned out under her and she slept peacefully like nothing had ever happened. Kamo was lying on the pillow next to her head. His normally white fur was still stained red from the girl's blood. Negi stared at them as a wave of guilt washed over him.

"Is she..."

Setsuna looked up at him with blurry eyes and a tear streaked face. Indicating that she had been crying some time ago. "Seruhiko-sensei and the headmaster assured us that she would be okay."

Kazumi smiled sadly but nodded. "She wakes up now and then," she said softly. "Mumbles something and then goes back to sleep."

Negi threw the blanket that was covering him to the side. He slowly pulled himself to his feet, teetering slightly as he did so. Ku Fei and Kotarou both moved to hold him steady. When they were sure that he could walk they let go of his arms. Negi walked over to the bed that Konoka was laying in gazed down at her sleeping form. A queasy feeling hit his stomach hard and the bile rose in his throat. This was his fault. If he had been able to move, if he hadn't gotten so scared, then he could have stopped her from jumping in front of the sword. The room began to spin around him and he suddenly felt very crowded. Again he started to lose his balance and the nauseous feeling hit him even harder.

"Negi-bozu?" Kaede placed her hand on his shoulder making him jump. "Are you alright Negi-bozu?"

Negi pulled away from her rather roughly. He knew that she was just worried but he didn't want anyone touching him at the moment. He just wanted to be alone. "E-excuse me. I-I-I want to...take a shower!" He turned around and ran towards the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Asuna and Ku Fei tried to follow after them but Kotarou jumped in their way. "Get out of the Kotarou!" Asuna growled.

Kotarou shook his head. Normally Asuna seemed very scary but the look in her eyes gave her the appearance of the frightened one. "No," he said firmly. "Negi needs to be alone right now. He needs to handle it."

'I hope that you are right?' Ku Fei thought.

As soon as Negi entered the bathroom he ran for the toilet rather than the shower. There he sat hunched over and vomiting for all he was worth. How could he not. Because of him someone that he really cared about got hurt. All because he was too cocky and thought that he could handle the two men. Sitting in the room with all of the others only made him feel worse about what had happened. Out of the corner of his eye he noticed that the date on his watch read as Friday and it was the afternoon already. That meant that he had already been out for one full day and Konoka was still not awake.

"I can't sit around here," Negi said aloud.

He was dressed in his suit pants from yesterday and a plain white t-shirt. Deciding that was good enough he stood up as best as he could and made his way back to the bathroom door. He needed some time to work out what had happened and deal with his grief. There was no way that he could do that while surrounded by people. Negi cracked open the bathroom door to check out the room. All of the girls and Kotarou seemed to be in conversation about what happened. It sounded like Asuna was filling the others in on what happened yesterday. Negi opened the door and walked out. His shoes and staff were right next to the dorm room's door. As quick as he could, Negi gathered his shoes and staff in his hands and disappeared out of the door.

* * *

_'Step. Thrust. Spin. Double palm thrust.'_

Negi repeated the mantra over and over again in his head. Since running out of the dorms he had come out to the forest in order to train. There was a small clearing that he and Ku Fei sometimes went to to train. It was a smalll area surrounded by trees. Inside of the clearing the evening rays of the sun shone down on the grass and had a somewhat calming effect on Negi. Normally the clearing was a good place for him to go and try to get things out of his mind. This time thiings were a little bit different. Even as he moved through his kata Negi couldn't help but let the tears slip down his face. After all this wasn't just any normal problem. Because of him Konoka was laid up in bed. Not only that there were large pieces of the fight that he could barely remember. What happened to the two men? Was he able to beat them? He just couldn't remember and it was driving him insane.

_'That's what you get for being so cocky.'_ Chided the voice in his head.

Negi birstled with anger. He spun around and punched the closest tree putting a large crack in the wood. Negi pulled his hand back and stared at the blood pouring from his knuckles. Unfortunately, he was so mad that he hadn't been paying attention to what hand he used. Sharp bouts of pain coursed through the already injured hand making Negi grimace in pain.

"Your stance was off." Negi turned around and saw Ku Fei walking into the clearing. Her emerald eyes drifted down to his hand and she grimaced. "You hurt your hand again?"

Negi quickly wiped the tears from his eyes and turned around. "It's no big deal." He flexed the hand a little but still kept his back to Ku Fei. "What are you doing here Ku-roshi?"

Ku Fei wasn't sure why but she felt a jolt of pain when Negi adressed her that way. She thought they were closer than that. "Everyone is worried. It's getting dark and you've been gone for hours," she stated coolly.

"...I'm sorry everyone got worried. But I'm fine. See!" Negi turned around with an obviously fake smile plastered on his face.

Ku Fei shook her head in disappointment. "I thought we were friends." Negi looked at her with a genuinely perplexed expression. "It's not nice to lie to friends Negi-bozu."

"R-really I'm f-f-fine!" Negi stammered.

"Liar." Ku fei walked up to Negi and stared firmly at him. Negi expected her to be mad but instead she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him close. "I know you're scared Negi-bozu. But it's okay. Konoka is fine. It wasn't your fault she got hurt."

The embrace that had started out comforting quickly became smothering to Negi. He pushed Ku Fei away. The blond stared back at her friend with dejection written all over her face. "You weren't there!" Negi cried. "You didn't see it! She didn't fall into your arms while she bled!"

Ku Fei watched the tears slip down Negi's face and felt tears of her own stinging at her eyes. "It wasn't your fault. Konoka and Asuna don't blame you. No one does except you. I want to help but you have to let me." She begged softly.

Tears slipped from Negi's eyes as he looked at his master. "I'm-I'm scared," he whispered timidly.

"I know," Ku Fei smiled. She walked up to Negi and placed a hand on his shoulder. "But you don't have to be."

Negi smiled but it was quickly wiped from his face when he felt a familiar shiver. It was the same shiver he had been feeling the last couple of days. This time it was much closer though. Out of pure instinct he shoved Ku Fei away from him. Again this left the girl surprised; she was about to ask what was wong when a black barrier of magic seperated them. The barrier continued high into the air, creating a dome around Negi. Ku Fei started to bang on the barrier trying to get to Negi. Negi also tried to break through the barrier but with much different results. As soon as his hand touched the magical energy he recieved a rather nasty shock that knocked him off of his feet.

"Negi-bozu!" Ku Fei cried out in concern. "Are you okay!"

Negi looked up but a shrill laugh filled the air chilling him to the bone. He saw Ku Fei pointing behind him frantically, as if trying to warn him. Negi turned around and scrambled to his feet. Standing in front of him was a beautiful young woman about the same height as Asuna. She had long black hair that had been pulled back into a waist length ponytail. Her eyes, silver in color, gleamed in the dim light of the barrier. Her face was flawless with the exception of a small scar on her left cheek. Negi sensed a very dangerous aura about the woman. Not only that but he wasn't wearing his magic ring and his staff was close to the woman. He was at a serious disadvantage.

"I see you have already learned what happens when you touch my barrier!" She cackled in a shrill voice.

"...Who are you?" Negi asked apprehensively. "What is all of this?!"

"Forgive my rudeness. My name is Azumi!" She bowed low in an almost mocking manner. "And my master wishes for me to test your limits."

"My limi-arrgghh!"

Before he could even finsh that thought Negi felt a sharp pain in his stomach. He looked up just in time to see Azumi bringing her elbow down on him. Negi spun around to her back, grabbing her arm as he did so. He pulled trying to flip her over his shoulder. Azumi twisted her body her body so that she was able to cartwheel to the side of him. She swung her right arm back knocking Negi into the energy shield. Negi cried out in pain as the energy surged through his already aching body. He hit the ground and fell flat on his face.

On the other side of the shield Ku Fei was doing her best not to freak out. She had sensed that this woman was a powerful figure as soon as she showed herself. Another thing she knew was that Negi was too weak to handle the woman on his own. The only thought in her mind was getting to her young apprentice. Ku Fei charged her ki into her right hand and gave the barrier a tremendous punch. There was a small ripple in the energy field but it didn't break. In fact it didnt even crack. This time Ku fei unleashed on the barrier, trying her best to break it down and help Negi.

Azumi smirked coldly as she picked Negi up off of the ground. "So sweet that your little friend want's to help you. But by the time she breaks my barrier it will be too late."

Negi's eyes tried their best to focus after the brutal attack but it was no use. Azumi twisted around and slammed Negi into the ground with tremendous force. His body bounced off of the ground and she kicked him again in the ribs. Negi was sent tumbling along the ground until he was about ten feet away from her. Negi lifted his head and tried his best to stand back. He could barely manage to make it to his knees let alone his feet. Azumi quirked an eyebrow in amusement. She had to give the kid credit for determination. However all the determination in the world wouldn't save him now. Azumi gathered magic energy in her left hand and rushed at Negi.

Negi looked up and saw Azumi running straight at him! The energy around her hand was strong enough that it could probably rip him to shreds. Negi did the first thing that came to mind and summoned his staff to him. The staff reached him just in time that he was able to use it for defense against his attacker. Azumi slammed her hand against the staff full force. Negi pushed all the magic that he could manage into his staff but it wasn't enough. There was a cracking sound and then the staff gave away, shattering into a hundred pieces. Negi's eyes widened as the resulting force of the magic knocked him to the ground. Azumi laughed at the fallen mage with unrestrained glee.

"Son of the Thousand Master indeed!" She cackled. "Such a disappointment!" Azumi reached inside her cloak and pulled out a pair of hand blades. She raised them into an x-pattern and sneered at Negi. "Now you die!"

Azumi swung her blades slashing Negi diagonally across the chest. The blades dug deep making Negi scream in pain. Blood spilled from the wound as Negi collapsed to the ground once again. This time he could feel all of the life leaving him. This time he wasn't going to beat the odds.

"Embrace me and live!" Said a cold and faceless voice.

On the other side of the shield Ku Fei's eyes widened in horror. She couldn't believe what had just happened! It couldn't be real! She cried out as she slammed her already raw fists _into the_ shield again. **"Get up Negi-bozu!" **She shouted. The blond martial artist pulled her right fist back and slammed it into the shield again.

_K-Krack!_

This time a small crack appeared in the shield. "Come on!" Ku Fei cried angrily.

"Ku Fei-kun!"

Ku Fei turned around and saw Takamichi and Seruhiko running towards her. "Takahata-sensei! Seruhiko-sensei! Negi-bozu is in trouble!" She cried, pointing into the shield.

Takamichi stopped at the shield and looked inside. His eyes widened in shock at the figure before them. "Seruhiko-kun isnt that Aizawa Azumi?!"

One look at the woman and the color drained from Seruhiko's face. "We have to get in there now!"

Takamichi was already ahead of him. He started gathering ki into the palm of his right hand. With one swift blow from the ki infused strike, the shield flickered and failed. Ku Fei looked up in shock. With one blow Takamichi was able to accomplish what she couldn't even do with hundreds of strikes! She followed the two mage teachers towards Azumi. Azumi turned her head and smirked at the three before her.

"Your too late!" She cried maniacally. "He's already fallen to me!"

"Get away from him!" Ku Fei cried. She tried to rush Azumi but was held back by Seruhiko.

"Oooh! Such a temper. Good thing Seruhiko was here to hold you back."

Seruhiko glared at her while keeping a firm had on Ku Fei. "I thought you were dead Azumi!" Seruhiko spat her name out like poison. "What are you doing here?!"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She asked mockingly.

Takamichi glanced around Azumi and saw Negi lying motionless on the ground. "We're taking Negi-kun! One way or the other!"

Azumi waved her hand airirly. "Do what you want with the brat! I'm through with him anyway." She turned to Seruhiko and blew him a kiss. "Bye lover." Black energy swirled around her and she disappeared.

Ku Fei shook free of Seruhiko and ran over to Negi. She dropped down by his side, tears in her eyes. Something was wrong with him. Something more than just the wounds on his chest! "Takahata-sensei!" Takamichi ran over and knelt down beside Negi with Seruhiko close behind. "What's happening to him!" Ku Fei asked tearfully.

Takamichi shook his head. "I don't know. Seruhiko-kun, give me hand!" Seruhiko helped lift Negi up and Takamichi told Ku Fei to go ahead and tell the headmaster. "Hang in there Negi-kun," he whispered.

**End Chapter

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**Well that's that! After I post this I am going to go and rest before my roommates kill me. It's sort of hard to write with the flu! Anyways, let me know what you think. If anyone is still reading this!**


	3. Chapter 3: An Uncertain Future

**There are people reading so that means I will continue to write. Unfortunately, this infernal machine known as a computer is starting to get to me. So let's get right to it.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Negima. Just the rest of the world! AHHAHAHAHAHAHA! I don't know what that nice doctor meant by delusional!

* * *

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**Chapter 3: An Uncertain Future**

Negi opened his weary eyes giving them a chance to adjust to the light. Or lack there of. The room he was in was pitch black and freezing cold. Negi wasn't quite sure what he was laying on but he was sure that it wasn't a bed. No he knew what a bed felt like and this felt more like stone. The mage turned his head and saw that he was indeed lying on a rough stone floor. To say that the floor was uncomfortable would have to be an understatement. The granite scratched at Negi's back and head with every movement that he made. His eyes shifted from side to side trying to catch a glimpse of something that was at least remotely familiar to him. No Asuna or Konoka there to make sure that he was okay. In fact it seemed like he was all alone in this dreary place. Even that wouldn't have been so bad if he at least had some kind of light or artifact that belonged to him. All he had were the clothes on his back and they weren't much help against the biting cold.

"How in the bloody hell did I get here?" Negi thought aloud.

Negi tried to sit up and immediately regretted doing so. A burning pain shot through his head followed by flashes of a battle that he could hardly remember. He was facing off against two men and one of them was falling from the sky. Negi pushed the images out of his head. He had plenty of time to deal with them after he figured out where he was. Looking down at himself he realized that he was wearing the same green pants and white shirt from earlier that day. A feeling of nausea and dizziness took him over for a second. Slowly so as not to disturb his body even more, he lifted himself up off of the ground. When he made it to his feet he was assaulted by another set of blazing memories. This one of a fierce battle with a woman. Negi heard voices inside of his mind. Cold, angry and hateful voices filled his senses, forcing him to clap his hands against his ears in an attempt to escape them.

"Stop," he whispered helplessly. "I said stop it." His voice was firmer this time even though he collapsed to his knees. The voices became louder trying to block out his pleas. **"I said stop it!" **He shouted.

Suddenly all around him blue flames erupted in the dark room. Eight of the flames glowed bright in the darkness, creating a circle around him. There was nothing there to hold the flames. They just seemed to be floating there on their own will. Negi stared at one of the flames as if he was in some kind of trance. He pulled himself to his feet and walked over to the floating flame. Now it was common knowledge that a blue flame burned with much more intensity than the normal red flames. Still, there was something about the flame that drew Negi towards it. He reached out a cautious hand and tapped the flame with his finger. A small ripple appeared in the flames but to Negi's surprise he felt no pain. In fact the flame felt quite cool.

"Being inside the darkness of your own mind is different isn't it?"

Negi turned around and almost jumped backwards into the darkness. Floating in front of him was what appeared to be some kind of spirit. It looked like nothing more than a floating black cloud of gas though. Negi stared at the thing strangely. He had encountered quite a few ghosts during his short life; he even had one attending his classs. This one was different though. It had no face, only a pair of reddish purple eyes that gleamed in the darkness. Negi could tell that unlike Sayo, this spirit wasn't exactly a friendly one. It was moments like this that he wished he had his staff with him.

"ARRRGGHHHH!"

Negi clamped his hands to his head again. More memories of his battle with that woman seeped into his concious mind. Her name was Azumi he was sure of that. The next memory was particularly disturbing for him. Azumi was launching herself at him with the intent of killing of him. Then the next thing that he knew he was holding his staff as it shattered into hundreds of pieces. Now he was on his knees and a split second later he was on the ground; his chest sliced open and bleeding to death. Negi's head shot up to see that the spirit was closer to him now. He fell backwards and scrambled towards one of the blue flames that was further away from malicious entity. Now Negi was beginning to get frightened. He had the feeling that this wasn't the first time that he had come across this entity.

"I see that you are starting to remember?" The spirit asked in a positively bone chilling voice.

Negi started shaking violently. To have the spirit adress him directly and in such an open manner was terrifying. "Wh-wh-who a-are you?!" Negi stammered terribly.

"I am the one that saved you from certain death," the spirit answered.

Negi's eyes widened in realization. Quickly he lifted up his shirt and saw that the wounds on his chest were but mere scars already. Negi stood up on shaky legs and stared at the spirit. A cold sweat from fear covered his entire body. He was frightened but he was determined to try his best and not let it show. There were some questions that he needed answered and perhaps this... thing could do that.

"There was a girl with me," Negi began. "I can't remember who but-"

"Do not worry. She is safe."

Even though Negi had the distinct impression that this spirit was evil he had the feeling he wasn't lying to him. "A-and yousaid this was my mind?" The spirit simply floated in response to him. "So what are you doing here?" He questioned bravely.

"You don't remember?" It asked. Negi could almost see the evil sneer in the spirit's voice. "Poor Negi-kun." Negi felt a shiver run down his spine. His name name sounded like acid when said by the faceless entity. "You gave yourself to me in order to save your life."

A ball of ice formed in the young mages stomach. At the back of his head he could barely hear these words being spoken: _Embrace me and live! _Negi looked up and shook his head in disbelief. "Tha-that was y-you?"

"Correct. I had to go through some extreme lengths to get you detached but you belong to me now." The spirit came closer until it was only an inch or so from Negi. "Mind." Negi felt a sharp pain in his head. All of his memories rushed forward including a few that he was sure weren't his. "Body." Negi dropped down to all fours. He could feel his body changing. His hair was growing longer and he could feel his skin stretching. "Soul." Negi felt something entering through his mouth. He came to realize that it was some of the spirit and he was helpless to stop it. A burst blackish purple energy burst from his mout and eyes. "And Heart."

Negi looked up and saw the spirit reaching out with a spindly arm that he didn't posess before. "...No." Negi breathed. The spirit scoffed at him and continued to reach for him. Negi's hand shot out and closed on the arm. "I said no!"

There was a small burst of white light that appeared in Negi's right hand. Out of the light a silver object appeared. The handle was black and shined to perfection. At the end of the handle was the silve head of a wolf. Emeralds were implanted in the eye sockets giving it a very luxurious look. A second burst of light appeared near the other end of the handle. Several small triangles that appeared slightly deformed appeared on the floor. Said triangles looked very sharp and seemed to be made out of silver. Negi was able to recognize the weapon as a variation of a chain whip. Instead of thinking he brought the whip up and swung it out towards the spirit. The chain lashed out stretching for an amazing distance before pasiing through the spirit. Though it looked like no damage was done the spirit let out a wail of anger and pain.

"Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

"Negi-kun!"

A hand landed on Negi's shoulder making him jump to the side. Staring back at him was the light blue eyes (?) of Takmamichi. Negi quickly looked around the room kicking his covers around as he did so. Covers? Negi looked down and realized that he was on a bed or couch of come kind. Surrounding him were the mage teachers including: Gandolfini, Seruhiko, Mitsuru, Kitaragi and the headmaster. (A.N: I think Kitaragi is the bearded mage that nearly 'killed' poor Sayo.) Negi turned to each of them in turn looking frantically for any sign of the spirit. All of them looked confused and none of them seemed able to look directly at him. Negi turned back to Takamichi and saw that Kamo was waiting on his shoulder.

"Where am I?" Negi asked quietly.

"Don't worry Aniki you're safe," Kamo replied. Negi thought that the ermine was staring at him quite funny.

"You are in my office Negi-kun," Konoemon answered. "How are you feeling?"

Negi ran a hand through his hair. It felt different somehow but he was still trying to get his eyes to adjust. "Where are my glasses?" Takamichi handed him his glasses. Negi put them on but his vision got worse and he started to feel dizzy. He took them off again and his vision started to get clearer. "What? What's going on here?"

Takamichi sighed. "There is something that you should know Negi-kun." Takamichi helped him sit up. "Try to stay calm okay."

Negi stared back at Takamichi with a questioning gaze. Takamichi positioned Negi so that he was looking right in a mirror. At first Negi didn't notice anything wrong. He thought that the mirror was reflecting someone behind him. The thing was that there was only one figure in the mirror and he realized with a shock that it was him. But he looked so different than before! His face was no longer that of a young boy but of a young man. In fact his facial features were sharp and striking, just like when he took the age decieving pills. His hair, once a dark crimson, ahd grown a little longer and changed color as well. His hair was silver in color. Not the kind of silver that people get when they get older but actually silver with a natural sheen. What surprised Negi the most was the change in his eyes. The iris were now a deep shade of amythest and the whites seemed to turn a pale shade of silver. His pupils were gone and replaced with white swirls and small prinpricks of white that sparkled like stars. The transformation was jarring and he couldn't believe that he looked this way.

Negi lifted his hand a and gave it a wave to make sure that he was indeed looking at himself. "H-how?" He asked in a whisper. "How did this happen?!" He turned back around and looked at the mage teachers pleadingly. "Th-this is a joke right?!"

Gandolfini sighed and shook his head. "I'm sorry Negi-kun. This isn't a joke.You have the right to know that this is completely real."

"What the bloody hell do you mean?!" Negi cried in a panic.

"Negi-kun, the woman thuat attack you was named Aizawa Azumi," Seruhiko informed him. "She's a mage that turned along time ago. No one knew why." Negi could hear the depression in Seruhiko's voice but didn't say anything.

Kitaragi lit a cigarette and shook his head. "The woman is mentally unstable and so are her powers. Needless to say she is very dangerous."

"Yes," Mitsuru agreed. "Her emergence is quite disturbing. We thought her to be dead."

'_You think it's disturbing!'_ Negi thought derisively. Negi narrowed his eyes. He never use to think angry things like that. He shook his head and asked, "Is she the one that did this to me?"

"Doubtful," Konoemon said. He began stroking his beard in thought. "After all, Ku Fei-kun told us that Azumi said something about a master."

Negi's eyes widened. Ku Fei was the one that was with him when he got attacked by Azumi. "I she alirght?!" He asked frantically. He didn't trust that spirit one bit.

"She is fine," Konoemon soothed. Negi sighed in relief and the headmaster continued to speak. "The truth is Negi-kun that we have no idea who did this to you. To infect someone with ones own will is-"

"Headmaster," Takamichi interrupted. "Perhaps, I could have a few minute alone with Negi–kun?"

"Of course."

The headmaster walked out of the office followed by the other mage teachers. Kamo jumped off of Takamichi's shoulder so that he could sit with Negi on the couch. Takamichi stood up and walked over to one of the windows. Negi watched him light a cigarette and take a couple of drags. It seemed to Negi that he was trying to find a way to tell him something. Finally Takamichi turned back around but all he could do was look at Negi.

"Takamichi." The older mage turned around and looked at his young friend. "No one will tell me what's happening. Please don't lie."

Takamichi sighed and pulled a chair up to the couch. "I learned alot of things traveling with your father," he began. "A few of them good things and many bad things as well. What's happened to you is something that is often referred to as insertion. A strong mage or demon often with an evil heart can force their influence on a target." He inhaled on his cigarette one last time and snuffed it out. "They literally enter your body and force their influence to take over."

The words that spirit had said suddenly came drifting back to him. "So that's what he meant?" Begi mumbled.

"Huh?"

"Nothing," Negi shook his head. "So who did this to me?" Never had he felt this helpless and he wanted someone to blame for his condition.

Takamichi shook his head. "I'm sorry Negi-kun. There's no way to tell. There's very few cases of insertion and even less recorded ones. I can't even tell you if it was a demon, a mage, or both."

"Not what I wanted to hear," Negi groaned. "How long was I out for?"

"About a day?" Kamo guessed. "We found you yesterday around noon. And it's Saturday now."

"How old am I now?"

"I'd say you look about fifteen or sixteen," Takamichi replied. "Odds are you are still only ten years old though. They can only make you age physically."

Before Negi could ask anymore questions the door to the office opened back up. Seruhiko and Kitaragi stepped back into the office. "Ku Fei-kun and the others are waiting outside. They want to know if they can see you?"

Negi wanted nothing more than to be surrounded by the people that he was closest to. In spite of this he shook his head. He had the foreign influence of something evil inside of him, tainting his body and soul. How could he let them see him like this?

"...No. I don't want them to see me. Not like this."

"But-"

Kitaragi placed a hand on Seruhiko's shoulder and shook his head. Seruhiko sighed but went back out of the room. "You know you can't hide forever Negi-kun," Kitaragi informed in his deep voice. He walked over and handed Negi a pair of sunglasses. The lenses were rounded and extremely dark. "Until then. These might help."

Negi smiled up at Kitaragi. "Thank you Kitaragi-san." Negi slipped the glasses on and looked in the mirror. The lenses were so dark that they were hard to see through at first. Once his eyes adjusted Negi came to like the look on him.

"Not bad," Kamo complimented.

Takamichi nodded. "Perhaps now you are more willing to see them?" Negi looked up at Takamichi. The only sign that he was nervous was that he was chewing on his lip. "They are just worried about you Negi-kun."

Shouts from the other side of the door attributed to this fact. "Let us in so that we can see him grandpa!"

That was Konoka's voice! That meant that she was awake and she was okay! He wanted to see her and the others but there was still something naggin him at the back of his head.

"Even Eva is out there," Takamichi said.

Eva? As in his master Evangeline? If she was out there then this insertion thing had to be no joke. She wasn't the type of person to get worried just because he passed out a few times. "Can I ask you guys something?" Negi asked. Kitaragi and Takamichi both nodded in affirmation. "What can this do to me?"

The two mages remained quiet for a second before they looked at one another. Kitaragi nodded for Takamichi to tell him. "I have no idea."

Kamo sweat dropped and glared at the two mages. "Do you guys know anything?" He asked in exasperation.

"This is a rare case," Kitaragi explained. "In the few recorded cases of insertion the victims were all adults."

"Whoever did this must have wanted Negi badly," Takamichi agreed. "He must have gone through alot of work to get you the way he wanted. It would have just been easier to go after someone else."

"Right. If you want to find out more I would read up on it."

Takamichi nodded. "I've informed the girls on what happened. They know the basics but you have to decide how much you want them to know. I thought it only right that you decide."

Negi nodded. "Thanks Takamichi." The older mage nodded and handed him a set of clothes. "What are these for."

"You don't want them to see you in your underwear do you?" Kamo asked.

Negi lifted up the sheets and nodded. "Touche."

"You can use the bathroom over there."

Negi nodded and with Takamichi's help was able to stand. He took a few shaky steps before he was able to walk straight again. Negi walked into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. He set his clothes down on the sink and took a look at himself in the mirror. His face wasn't the only thing that had changed. His entire body had changed as well. His muscles had become lean and taught but held greater definition. He wasn't quite sure but he looked taller to. Negi sighed and grabbed the pair of black pants that were given to him. He slipped them on, zipped them up and the put the belt through the loops. Before he pulled on the white t-shirt Negi took a second to look at the scars on his chest. After running a finger over them he slipped the shirt on. Next came the jacket. It to was black in color with a belt around the neck. As he slipped it on Negi was able to vaguely recognize it as one of the boys high school uniforms. Finally he put his shoes on and walked back out into the office.

"Looking good Aniki!" Kamo said with a nod. "The girls won't be able to keep their hands off of you."

"Pfft. Right."

"Is everything alright Negi-kun?" Takamichi put his hand on Negi's shoulder and gave him a pointed stare.

"Shoes are a bit tight," negi replied nervously. "But I'm fine."

"Right," Kitaragi replied. "Let's go then." He gestured towards the door and led the way.

Negi picked Kamo up and put the ermine on his shoulder. "Now or never," he sighed. Negi felt his hand twitch involuntarily and looked down at it in confusion.

"Negi-kun?"

Negi shook his head. "Coming Takamichi."

* * *

Negi sighed while staring at the palm of his hand. It was just as he had feared. None of the girls looked at him the same way anymore. He and the others were back in the dorms now and already he could see the change in their attitudes towards him. Asuna and Konoka didn't look directly at him and neither hugged him like he was accustomed to. Even Nodoka wouldn't look him dead on; not that she did that before either. Chisame, Kazumi, and even Evangeline were avoiding him like he had the plague or something. Setsuna, Chachamaru, and Kaede smiled when they first saw him and offered words of greeting and concern to him. At this point in time the only one of the girls to touch him was Ku Fei. She had been so worried about him that she hugged him almost as soon as he had come out of the office. He had shrugged her off though because he didn't feel comfortable touching her in his state. So far the only advantage to this transformation was that he was now a little taller than Setsuna. 

"Something to drink?"

Negi looked up and saw Kotarou holding out a drink to him. So far the inu was the only one to act as though nothing happened. Negi knew that his friend was nervous but he appreciated the gesture. "Thanks Kotarou-kun." He accepted the drink with a better smile.

Kotarou nodded and sat down beside him. He looked around at the so called 'Get well party' with bemusement. Negi's transformation had indeed unnerved him just a bit. Of course he had seen much more disturbing things in his life. This was nothing that would deter him from being Negi's frie...rival. Another advantage to keeping his friend was that he was able to find out what happened. As soon as they reached the dorm room Negi pulled him to the side to tell him what happened in more detail.

"Where did Yue-san and Haruna-san go?" Negi asked. He took a sip of his soda and glanced curiously at Kotarou.

"They had to go to Library Island," Kotarou replied. "Something about being on the job. They wish you well though."

"Hn." Negi felt another twitch in his hand and heard some whispers in the back of his mind.

"So you think that this Azumi girl had something to do with your transformation?"

Negi watched Kamowalk over to their corner with a bottle of soda in his paws. "Hm? Oh, I don't think that she was the one who did it to me. I think it might be the person she's working for." Negi used his middle finger to fix his sunglasses.

"Any idea who?"

"No. Takamichi said that there's no way to trace it back. And I never got a name from her."

"Either way we should be careful." Kotarou took a sip of his drink and looked at Negi. "If insertion is as powerful as Takamichi says, then this guy has to be strong. He probably has more followers."

Negi nodded. "The spell is rather strong. I've tried to use a glamour several times to look normal. But it doesn't work," he said dejectedly.

"Right. Then we're going to have to keep our eyes out for clues," Kamo chipped in. "I doubt anyone is going to just come out and tell us who did this."

"Yeah. Can I help with anything man?"

Negi felt that twitch in his head again and nodded solemnly. "Can you guys leave me alone for a second," he requested quietly. It was though he was afraid they would leave him forever. "No offense. I just want to be alone."

"Don't worry Aniki, we understand." Kamo jumped over and scurried up Kotarou's arm. "We'll be right over here."

Kotarou nodded and gave him the cheesiest grin he could manage. "Call if you need anything."

Negi sighed as the two of them walked over towards the others. It wasn't that he didn't want them around he just needed to be alone with his thoughts. Every once in a while he could sense one of the girls looking over at him. Whenever this happened he would give them a sideways glance out of the corner of his eyes. More often than not it was Ku Fei that looked over at him. He could tell that she wanted to ask him something but was afraid of offending him. As Negi was left alone with his thoughts he was barely listening to Nodoka tell them about something that had happened to her earlier in the day. Oddly he found himself gettin annoyed with her. Again the voice began to whisper in his head. After a couple minutes of this he finally cracked.

"Shut up!" Negi growled. The heads of everyone in the room turned to look at him. He stood up and pointed at Nodoka. **"You think that you have problems! That you have problems!"**

"Whoa Negi! Negi calm down man!" Kotarou cried.

Negi clenched his eyes shut and opened them to see everyone staring at him in shock. Nodoka herself was particularly surprised and wore a hurt expression. Even though they couldn't see his eyes, the confusion in them was quite clear. Negi looked down at the ground and swiveled his eyes back and forth as if reading a book. He looked back up and saw the others still looking at him as if he had grown a second head.

"Um, s-sorry," he said awkwardly. "I, um, I have to use the bathroom." It was a lame excuse but it was good enough to excuse himself from the awkward situation.

Negi ran past them and into the bathroom. He closed the door behind him and locked it. Negi pulled his sunglasses off and ran his arm across his eyes. When he opened them he found himself staring into the mirror. Looking into the mirror, he felt an unexplainable wave of hatred wash over him. Perhaps it was because that in some way he looked like the person who did this to him. Or maybe it was because he could see the taint, the impurity in his eyes. In an attempt to quell those feelings he put the glasses back on.

"Wh-what is happening to me?"

Suddenly a light appeared in both of his hands making him take a step back. The whip from his 'dream' suddenly appeard in his right hand. A second whip identical to the first appeared in his left hand. The only difference was that rubies were placed in the wolf's eye sockets. Negi looked down at the weapon and his hands started to shake. How could he summon something without even trying? A dream was one thing but in real life was another. He needed answers and he needed them now! He dropped the whips on the floor, unlocked the bathroom door and ran out. He never noticed that the whips vanished from the floor.

As Negi ran out of the bathroom he almost knocked down a petit blond girl. Evangeline stared back at him with cold sapphire eyes. "Watch it boya! Where are you going?!" Evangeline hated it when people ignored her.

This of course drew the attention of everyone else in the room. "To Library Island." He responded before running out.

"Hey wait up!" Kamo called after him. He leapt down from Asuna's shoulder and made it out just as the door closed.

* * *

Negi ran up to the doors of the campus' large library and threw them open. As soon as he ran inside he found himself surrounded by cieling high shelves of books. His eyes traveled the dinly lit library searching for someone. It was then that he saw the person of his search behind the information counter. Negi ran over and skidded to a halt in front of the desk. 

"Yue-san!"

The girl behind the counter jumped and turned around. Yue stared at her sensei in shock. She hadn't expected him to be outside this soon. Especially after how subconcious he seemed when she saw him earlier. "N-Negi-sensei? What is it?" She tried to ask in her most normal tone of voice possible. She still wasn't used to him looking like this yet.

"We need your help Yuechi!" Kamo said.

Yue looked nervously from Negi to Kamo and then down at the desk. "Yue-san," Negi began, "I know this is wierd for you. But I really need your help."

Frustrated with herself for acting this way, Yue sighed. "Of course. What can I do?"

"I need a room to study in."

Yue nodded and beckoned Negi to follow her. Negi walked around the counter just as she was using her keys to unlock a door. "You can use the office." Negi nodded and rushed past her. Yue shivered as he walked past and cowered away. If Negi had seen this he probably would have been hurt by the gesture. "Do you n-need anything else?"

"Do you have your pactio on you?" Yue's eyes opened wider in surprise at the request. She reached in the pocket of her jacket and pulled out a card with her picture on the front. "Good! I need to use your artifact."

Not bothering to ask why, Yue lifted her card in the air and said, "Adeat!" A warm and pleasant light surrounded the young woman and a large book mysteriously appeared in her hands. She handed the book over to Negi and tried her best not to shiver when he took it from her. "Anything else?"

Negi thought for a second and nodded. "Take Kamo and search for any books that might be helpful." Yue nodded and allowed the ermine access to her shoulder. "Thank you Yue-san."

Yue nodded and hurried from the room. "Time to get to work." Negi sat down an opened the book.

By the time Yue and Kamo finished there was a mountain of books on the table. Yue shut the door to give them some privacy and the two set to work. Oddly enough the only source of light in the room would come from a candle chandelier on the ceiling and two candleabras on each wall. That was okay though. It was how he used to study back when he was in the academy. Negi lifted his right hand in the air and after a short incantation the candles burst into flame. Thankfully he hadn't forgotten his ring this time. Once all of the candles were lit the duo set to work. Negi and Kamo worked far into the night as though consumed and the candles burned down to almost nothing.

"I'm beginning to think that all of this is hopeless." Kamo looked around the work area and sighed. Haruna had been kind enough to supply them with food and drinks while they worked. The result of which was strewn all over the place. "We've been at this non stop for two days and we haven't found a thing," he said in irritation. "I mean we haven't even slept."

Negi pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed. He had placed his sunglasses on the table because it was too hard to see with them in the dimy lit room. Negi had been worried about Kamo's reaction when he first took them off but his partner had found the eyes to be cool rather than creepy. So he only put them on when someone else came into the office. Negi sighed. Kamo was right about two things. They hadn't found anything useful about insertion or Azumi at all. Everything they had come across they pretty much knew already. The only thing Negi learned was that he the person who infected him could possibly affect his mood and actions. The second thing was that they were on no sleep. And it was starting to get to both of them.

"I know," Negi yawned. He could feel the bags under his eyes and he was starting to get headaches. "I appreciate all of your help Kamo-kun. You can stop if you want."

Kamo shook his head. "That's alright. What the hell else do I have to do?"

Negi gave him a small but genuine smile. He was glad to have a friend like Kamo. After a second the silver haired mage reached under his shirt to rub his sore back. As soon as his hand hit the skin he could feel a change. His skin felt like it had been grated. Like it was all scarred up or something.

"Kamo?"

"Hm?" The ermine asked while sipping coffee.

"My back feels kind of funny."

"Turn around and let me see."

Negi stood up and lifted his shirt. Kamo gasped when Negi turned his back to him. "What?! What is it now?!" Negi almost whined.

"...Scars," Kamo said breathlessly. The emine walked along the desk and placed his palm on Negi's back. "It looks like a scar from a burn. But it kind of looks like a tiger."

Negi turned around and grabbed a small mirror that was sitting under a pile of papers. He positioned the mirror so that he could see the reflection of his back. Kamo was right once again. The burn mark took up quite a big portion of his back and roughly resembled a large cat. Negi stared at it for a few more minutes and put the mirror down. A bright idea came to him just an instant later. Maybe this mark was some kind of clue.

"Kamo-kun, what if this is the mark of the person who attacked me?!"

"Way ahead of you!" Kamo said with his nose in a book.

It had been another whole day since they discovered the mark on Negi's back. It was Tuesday now and Negi had missed out on two classes already. Another question that frequently entered his mind was how he had noticed the mark until now. Surely Takamichi and Kitaragi would have told him about the scar. So when did it even show up in the first place. He and Kamo searched for an answer to this question and all the others. Once again they ended up empty handed. This is what lead to Negi's current situation. He had his head buried in his arms and his eyes tightly shut. Tears of frustration and exhaustion were building in his eyes but he wouldn't quit. There had to be something! Anything!

"Where is it!" He growled. Kamo just shook his head wearily in response. "I can't believe this!" Negi swiped his arms across the desk in anger. Several of the books and papers scattered to the floor.

"Negi-bozu?"

Negi jumped and turned around to see who called him. Ku Fei stared at him from the doorway of the office. Her black school bag was clutched in her hands and was still wearing her uniform. The look of concern on her face was almost overwhelming. Negi had never seen a frown like that on her face. Not even when Chao left. He couldn't get made at her but his exasperation sounded in his voice.

"What is it Ku Fei-san?"

Ku Fei placed her bag on the ground and looked directly at him. She wished he didn't have those sunglasses on. It was too hard to tell how he was feeling and thinking. "Haruna told me where you were. She was starting to get a worried about you. She wanted me to talk to you."

"..."

"I know you want answers Negi-bozu," Ku Fei said. She took a step closer and smiled at him. "But you're starting to worry everyone."

"Really?" Negi asked sarcastically. "Cause it seems like your the only one that really cares." He turned around and looked down at the floor.

"That's not true. They're just frightened."

"They're frightened," Negi sniffed. His voice became icy all of a sudden, scaring the young blond. "How do they think that I feel?!"

"Negi-bozu?"

"Forget them," he said in a slightly eerie tone. Kamo stared at Negi. This wasn't like his big brother at all. "What do you even care anyways?"

"You're scaring me," Ku Fei said. She had never seen Negi act like this and she actually was starting to get scared. Negi sniffed and ignored her. "Let me help. I know what you are going through."

"No you don't! You have no idea!"

Negi turned around and grabbed Ku Fei by the throat with both of his hands. "Aniki no!"

Ku Fei reached up and gripped Negi's hands. She tried to pull him off but he was too strong and she didn't want to hurt him. "Ne-Ne-gi-bozu!" She choked.

"Negi-kun stop it!"

Two more pairs gripped his shoulders from behind trying to pull him off of the blond. Negi swiped back with his left arm and knocked the two off of him. That distraction was enough for Ku Fei. She brought her left arm down on Negi's to get him to loosen his grip. In one swift motion she brought her knee up into his gut and hit him in the chin with her open palm. Negi let go of her and stumbled to the ground. Ku Fei fell against the desk gasping for breath. Immediately Haruna, Yue, and Kamo were at her side to help her.

"Are you okay Ku-chan?" Haruna asked.

Negi gripped the sides of his head and growled. When he opened his eyes back up he stared at the floor in disbelief. What had he done? He just attacked Ku Fei! And for what reason. She was only trying to help him and he attacked her. Tears immediately stung at his eyes. He turned around and stared atthe three girls in front of him. Tears of pain dripped down Ku Fei's cheeks as she stared back at him with hurt emerald eyes. For a minute none else in the room existed besides her. Negi wanted to run up and hug her. Tell her sorry. Anything to make her realize that he didnt want to hurt her. All he could do was get up and run out of the room with tears of his own falling from his eyes. Kamo gave chase and stayed close on his tail.

* * *

Negi sat at the base of a large tree on top of a hill. After what happened with Ku Fei he had ran there to get away from everyone. Of course Kamo didn't count as everyone. He needed someone with him after all. It was dark now and the only sound that Negi could hear was the wind and the chirping of crickets. He leaned back against te tree and watched the stars. He was becoming used to the glasses and could see fine now. Even in the dark. Neither of them had said much for hours but Kamo was about to break the silence. 

"Are you sure that you want to do this Aniki?"

Negi looked over at his companion and nodded. "It may be the only way Kamo-kun."

"Well it'll be dangerous," Kamo shrugged, "I better go with you."

"Go where?"

Negi bolted up and turned around. His jaw slackened in shock when his eyes landed on Ku Fei. He had no idea what to say to her and found himself speechless. "What's wrong?" Ku Fei asked in a hoarse voice.

"K-K-Ku Fei-san...I how's your throat?" He asked quietly.

"It's a little sore," she replied. "Mind if I join you?" Negi motioned for her to sit in stunned silence. After all that he did to her she was still willing to be around him. There was a long tense silence before either of them spoke up. "I'm sorry Negi-bozu."

Negi looked over at her with an astonished expression gracing his features. "Wh-what?"

"I'm sorry I wasn't more help. Sorry that I couldn't keep this from happening to you," she said quiltily.

Negi shook his head. "It wasn't your fault," he said quickly. "If anything its mine."

"What do you mean?"

"Do you remmber when you learned about my past?"

"Which part?"

Negi waved his hand and his voice filled the air but hi mouth didn't move. It was him when he was ten. _"And yet I still think, even now...all that had happened...it must have been punishment, surely...for my stupid belief that, if I were in trouble my father would come."_

Ku fei jumped up with an angry expression on her face. "You were five! It wasn't your fault!"

"Because Asuna-san says so?" He asked in a monotone. Kamo sat by and watched the conversation with interest.

"But..."

"It was divine punishment. And so was this." He ran a hand through his hair for emphasis. "I was punished for gettin full of myself and letting Konoka-san get hurt. And for doing this to you." Negi knelt down and gently the tips of his fingers over the bruises on her neck. It surprised him that she didn't even flinch when he touched her.

Ku Fei's cheeks flushed a light pink from the contact. "This wasn't your fault. You weren't you."

"I should have been in control. Instead, I hurt someone that I really care about."

There was a long period of silence until Ku Fei asked, "How do we stop it?"

Negi smiled. "I appreaciate the concern. But whatever is happening has already happened. There is no way to stop it." He sighed. "But maybe I can find out who did it and why."

"You've been studying for three days and haven't found anything."

"...Kamo and I think that the answer might be in...China."

"China?!" Ku Fei asked in shock.

Negi nodded. "There's a man somewhere in China that might be able to help. So I'm going."

Ku Fei jumped to her feet and held her fist out towards him. "If you go then so do I!" She cheered.

"What?! N-no!" Negi started waving his arms frantically. "You-you can't come!" Still Kamo kept quiet and watched from the side.

"You don't want my help?" Ku asked dejectedly.

"That's not it! I just don't want you to be in danger!"

"You can't go on your own! You don't know the language or your way around! I want to help you Negi-kun! And maybe visit my parents," she added slyly.

Millions of reason why he should say no ran through Negi's head but he asked one question. "There's no use in saying no is there?"

"Nope!" She shook her head, making her blond hair flail wildly.

Negi sighed. "Get your stuff. We're leaving tonight."

Ku Fei almost squealed in delight. She jumped up and hugged Negi causing him to blush several shades of red. "Xie xie! I'll go get my stuff!" She turned around and started running off.

"Meet us back here in half an hour! And don't tell anyone!" He called after her.

"Are you sure that this is a good idea Aniki?" Kamo asked.

"...Who knows?" Negi turned around and looked out at the stars. He didn't know much but he was lucky to have a friend like Ku Fei. "It seems like the future really is uncertain."

Kamo turned and stared at the same star as Negi. "What is certain is that this will be an interesting trip."

**End Chapter

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**Well that's it for this chapter. It's like midnight now so I'm going to sleep. Let me know what you all thought! See ya next chapter.**


	4. Chapter 4: Meeting the Family

**I've gotten some good responses to this fic so I want to get this up as fast as possible. I would like to thank all of the people who read and reviewed. So without further ado.**

"_**Bold Italics" **_**Characters speaking in Chinese.**

**Disclaimer: Come on! If I were Ken Akamatsu do you think I would be doing this!

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**Chapter 4: Meeting the Family **

"_**Do we have enough here for one night?"**_

Negi watched Ku Fei try and get them a room to stay in for the night. The two of them and Kamo managed to get to China without any problems. No one saw them leaving and therefore no one waas there to try and stop them. There was only one problem. Negi insisted that they make it to China that very night. Of course the only way for them to do that was for Negi to use a massive amount of transportation. Luckily he was able to use a mental picture that Ku Fei had in her mind to complete the teleportation. Only problem was that the only picture strong enough landed them far from her home. Plus the sheer amount of magic that Negi had to use to carry them here left him exhausted and on the verge of collapse. That's how they came to be in this motel hoping to god that they had enough money to pay for the room.

Ku Fei had told them when they saw the hotel that the sign out front read 'Cheap Rooms.' Negi wondered just how cheap the rooms were though. Sure he was only ten but he had lived long enough to know certain things. Not to mention more instincts seemed to flood him since the insertion. For a place that claimed to be a dive the lobby was rather nice. Granted the place wasn't four stars by any means but it wasn't a dive either. Red carpeting and large plants lined the floor of the lobby giving it a warm feeling. The walls were painted black but the paint was fading just a little. It didn't matter though. They would only be here for one night.

"Psst! Aniki!" Negi looked down and saw Kamo poking his head out from the jacket pocket. "I'm not sure about this. Did you see what was on that guy's hand?"

Negi looked up to make sure that no one was watching. Seeing that the clerk was still busy with Ku Fei he nodded. "I know," he replied. "We need a place to stay. Besides this is the perfect place to start looking."

"If you say so."

"Xie xie!" (A.N: The only word I know in Chinese!)

Negi looked up and saw Ku Fei walking back over to him with a smile on her face. "We have enough to stay for the night. Plus some extra."

Negi smiled. "Well that's good."

"Yeah! Another thing is we are in Beijing. So we're not far from my home." Negi nodded simply in confirmation. Thinking that something was wrong Ku Fei knelt down beside the chair to check on him. "Something wrong Negi-kun? We could just go to my parents house. They won't mind."

Negi shook his head and gave her a small smile. "I can barely move. So unless you want to carry me we have have to stay here."

Ku Fei wrinkled her nose in feigned disgust. "That's okay. You too fat now!" She grabbed her bag off of the floor ad started walking towards the stairs. "Are you coming?"

"Yeah I'm coming," he groaned. He picked up his bag and stretched. "I'm gonna get you for that fat joke to!"

"You can try!"

After going up a couple of floors the trio finally came to the room they were given. Ku Fei pulled the key out of her pocket and unlocked the door. Negi walked in and flipped on the light switch. The room inside was rather nice for the price that they had paid. Plush blue carpet covered the floor and the walls appeared to be freshly painted an off shade of white. On the far wall there was a plant of some kind in each corner. Against the same wall was a decent sized t.v. atop a wooden stand. On the wall to the right was a door that Negi assumed led to the bathroom. Over on the left wall was a window that overlooked a good portion of the city. Against the wall, next to the door, was a bed that was easily big enough to accomodate two people. To the right side of the bed was a night stand that held a phone, clock, and lamp. There was only one problem with the room. Only one bed!

"There's only one bed," Negi stated the obvious.

"Hm?" Ku Fei mumbled. She had been busy checking out the bathroom when he spoke. "There's only one bed!" She exclaimed.

Negi smiled at her outburst but blushed a light shade of pink. "Don't worry about it. I'll sleep on the floor."

Ku Fei shook her head. "That's not fair to you. You're the one that's all tired. I'll take the floor." She tossed her bag down beside the bed and gave him a firm glare.

Negi knew that glare. That was how she got her way during training. Well she wasn't going to get her way this time. "A-an enlish gentleman would never let a lady sleep on the floor," he protested.

"You need sleep more than I do."

"Children please!" Kamo climbed out of Negi's pocket and leapt onto the bed. "Why not be grown ups and share the beds?" He suggested as though he were talking to slow people.

Both Negi and Ku Fei blushed a dark shade of crimson. Ku Fei even turned away so that Negi wouldn't notice. After all she had never shared a bed with a boy before. "Th-th-that wouldn't be proper Kamo-kun!"

"Proper? You two act like you've never fallen asleep next to one amother!"

Again the two of them blushed and Kamo shook his head. "I-I'm okay w-with it if you are," Ku Fei stammered.

Negi scratched the back of his head nervously. "As long as you're okay with it," he said.

"O-of course." She picked her bag up off of the floor and walked into the bathroom. "I'm gonna change."

Negi nodded and as soon as she disappeared into the bathroom he turned around and glared at Kamo. "That wasn't very nice Kamo-kun."

"I never said I was a nice guy."

Ku Fei released a breath that she never realized she was holding. Kamo was right after all. The two of them had slept next to each other at least once before. Not only that but it was one of the most ppeaceful sleeps she ever had. Besides, Negi was gentleman after all. So it's not like he would try anything with her. If possible he ws more nervous about this than she was. Shrugging it off she slipped out of her school skirt and pulled on a pair of black sweat pants. She unbuttoned her shirt slowly and slipped it off. The bruises on her neck turned a nasty shade of black and purple. Instead of thinking about it she just threw on a sleveless yellow shirt, deciding that it was good enough for tonight. As a last act she pulled the ornaments from her hair and allowed it to fall down her face She smiled at herself in the mirror before throwing her clothes back in her bag.

When Ku Fei walked back out of the room she saw Negi digging through his black duffle bag. "What are you looking for?" She asked.

"My cell phone. I threw it in here somehwere. Success." Negi looked up from his bag and almost did a double take. He couldn't remember ever seeing her with her hair down. Negi had always thought Ku Fei to be a pretty girl and he believed that even more now.

"Is something on my face?" Ku Fei asked. She reached up with her hand and strated feeling around her face.

Negi blinked twice. It was good for him that he was able to hide is blush behind a smirk. "It's just that...I've never seen you with your hair down. You look really nice."

Ku Fei blushed and nodded. "Th-thanks." She looked down at the bed and saw Kamo fast asleep on one of the pillows. She picked him being careful not to wake him and placed him on the other pillow. "Perverted one shares your pillow," she said.

"That's fine," Negi laughed.

Ku Fei smiled at him and pulled the covers up. She climbed under and rested her head on the pillow. "Are you coming to bed?" She regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. It sounded like she was hitting on him!

Negi didn't seem to think of the words the same way she did. And if he did he didn't show it. "Yeah." He tossed his bag on the floor and nervously climbed under the covers.

"You're going to wear your glasses to bed? Why do you wear them anyways?"

"...I'll tell you later."

Ku Fei doubted that he would ever tell her. It probably had something to do with what what happened to him. "Everything is going to be alright. Right?"

Negi turned on his side so that he was facing Ku Fei and smiled. Her head was resting on the pillow and she looked small under the blankets. "Yeah. It will," he said with a smile.

* * *

Setsuna walked into the dorm room that she shared with Ku Fei. Her day was long and she was beyond tired. Negi hadn't been to class in two days. Most of her time had been spent asssuring Konoka and Asuna that Negi was going to be okay. Earlier Ku Fei had claimed that she was going to go see Negi and she wondered if her roommate was back yet. Setsuna hadn't seen her since she went to look for the young mage. The young swords-girl flipped on the light and rested her sword against the wall. She took off her jacket and hung it on the coat rack while she looked for her roommate.

"Ku are you here?" She called to the empty room. No response. "She must still be out. Wonder if she found Negi-sensei?"

Setsuna walked over to her dresser wondering if the two of them were okay. Oh well, a nice warm shower should take her mind off of things. After getting her clothes for the night she noticed something on her dresser. It looked like a note and it was Ku Fei's unmistakable messy scrawl on it. Setsuna picked it up and began to read.

_Setsuna,_

_Went to China with Negi-kun and Kamo-kun. Don't worry we'll be back at the end of the week. Bye._

_Ku_

_P.S: Don't tell anyone else!_

Setsuna shrugged it off and dropped the note on the desk. She started walking to the bathroom when the realization hit her. The brunette dropped her clothes on the floor and rushed back to the dresser. She picked the note up and ran her eyes over it again. A sweat dropped formed on her forehead and she started to panic. Something that she never did.

""...Kill...her..." Setsuna managed to get out. "I'm gonna kill her!" She cried pacing the room frantically. _'Not if Asuna-san kills you first!' _"What am I gonna do?!" Setsuna flopped down on the couch and ran a hand over her eyes. "I'm dead."

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Ku Fei shifted uncomfortably under the blankets. The room they were staying in was unnaturally cold. It was so cold in fact that after an hour she had abandoned all sense of shyness and cuddled up against Negi for warmth. Something was wrong though. The warmth that his body provided was missing and she was starting to get cold again. Ku Fei shivered and opened her eyes just a fraction. Even though her vision was blurry she could easily tell that Negi wasn't in the bed anymore. After a second she was able to hear some voices over near the window.

"I'm just not sure about getting an outsider involved in this Aniki." Kamo's voice drifted quietly through the room.

"I know Kamo-kun," Negi said. "But it's not like Ku-chan is exactly an outsider."

"Look, I know that Ku-nee-san is strong. But I still think that this was a bad idea. What we are about to do is very dangerous. She might not be able to hand it."

'_What are they planning on doing?'_ Ku Fei wondered.

"I know. That's why I didn't want her to come. I knew that if she did I would be putting her in danger." Negi sighed and tucked a strand of hair behind his ear. "I wanted someone to come with me. And when I saw her excitement I couldn't turn her down. Something tells me she needs this trip as much as I do."

"I can understand that," Kamo replied. "You need all of the support you can get. And you really trust Ku-nee-san. But this guy were going to see is no pushover. And he might not be all warm and fuzzy to see you."

"...To be honest I didn't think this through. It's obvious that she'll want to come."

"Right. So what's the plan?"

"We can't let her go with us. When we get to her parent's house we'll just stay. Then when night comes we'll sneak out. Start searching."

"Sounds good. We better get some sleep though. You need to replenish your magic supply."

Ku Fei heard them walking towards the bed and she turned so that her back was facing them. She felt Negi lay down on the bed and she closed her eyes. "Tomorrow is going to be a long day."

After a night of restless sleep for the trio night finally faded in the light of the sun. Negi was still wearing his clothes from last night so he just threw his jacket back on. Ku Fei changed into a pair of white baggy pants and a black long sleeved shirt. Conversation had been very tight that morning. After hearing Negi and Kamo talk last night she felt a little angry with the two of them. If they wanted her to stay behind the least they could do was say it to her face. She put her shoes on and picked up her bag. Negi watched the young girl as she used her hair ornaments to put her hair up in her normal fashion. Something was bothering her and she didn't seem in the mood to talk about it. So Negi decided that discretion was the better part of valor.

When they gathered all of their things they went to go and checkout. As soon as they reached the lobby Negi noticed that the clerk at the desk was the same as the one from last night. He was dressed in a dark blue shirt and a pair of jeans. His medium length black hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail. It seemed as though he didn't even notice them as he was so engrossed in a magazine he was reading. Half way to the desk Ku Fei stopped. She began searchinf her bag frantically and when she came up with nothing sighed in annoyance.

"I left something up in the room," she groaned. "I'll be right back."

Negi watched her go and took a deep breath. "Now's my chance." He turned around and walked up to the desk. The clerk finally looked up at him through the protective bars. "Do you speak Japanese?" Negi asked.

The young man nodded. "Hai. I speak English to. What can I do for you?"

"Do you know anything about a man named Lo Fong?"

The clerks eyes narrowed slightly and his entire back stiffened. "...No."

Negi sighed and shook his head. "I see..." It was obvious that the young man was lying and Negi had been hoping in vain that he wouldn't have to use coercion. Negi reached through the bars and grabbed the man by the front of his shirt. He pulled hard, bringing the man's face into the bars. "Where is he!" Negi growled.

The clerk suddenly looked frightened and began shaking. "I-I d-don't understand."

"So the tattoo on your hand is just for fun! Where is he?!"

"I will not sell out my brothers. If I do I will be killed by a myriad of swords."

"In the last couple of days my life has been changed," Negi said softly. "More importantly I've hurt people that I consider family." Negi let the man go but neither of them moved. "I want to protect them. This man may be my only chance to protect them. Even someone like you can understand that."

The clerk looked back at Negi with big black eyes. He looked down at Negi's right hand and stared at his magic ring. "You're just like him?" Negi nodded and the clerk sighed. "...Master Lo operates out of a night club in Hong Kong called the Jade Palace. He should be there tonight."

Negi looked back at the clerk in surprise. He hadn't actually expected him to tell. "Th-thank you!" Negi said enthusiastically. "Sorry about slamming your head into the bars! I owe you!"

"You wanna pay me back! Don't tell them where you got the information from!"

"Right! Right! When you see the girl I'm with tell her I went outside!"

Negi ran out of the door like an excited child who couldn't wait to get home and play with a new toy. "Yes!"

Kamo poked his head out of Negi's pocket. "We got this in the bag!" He cried in excitement. "Now we just have to get there!"

"No problem! I could probably teleport us there tonight. All I need is a picture of Hong Kong and that should be easy enough to find."

"For now we need to get to Ku-nee-san's. Call a cab over!"

"Right," Negi nodded. When a cab came by Negi waved to get the driver's attention. The cab slowly rolled over to the curb and stopped in front of him just as Ku Fei was coming out of the door. "Ladies first!" Negi opened the door and signaled for her to get in.

Despite her annoyance at him Ku Fei smiled. "You seem cheerful all of a sudden."

"Well it's a nice day!" Negi gestured to the sunny sky and gave her what could be considered a flirtatious wink.

Ku Fei blushed and climbed into the cab. Negi climbed in after her and leaned back against the seat. As Ku Fei gave the driver their destination Kamo climbed out of his pocket. Negi himself leaned back against the seat even further and closed his eyes. The cab ride was uneventful. Ku Fei played with Kamo and for the first time Negi saw him acting like a normal pet. Negi read a magical text that he brought with him, exchanging a few words here and there with Ku Fei. It didn't take long for them to reach where they were going. They paid the driver and jumped out of the cab.

"Whoa," Negi replied. Kamo stuck his head out of Negi's pocket and stared wide eyed at the house in front of them.

Ku Fei's parents lived in a large courtyard style house away from the city. Judging by how far the outside wall stretched it must have covered a large portion of land. It looked very traditional, at least in Negi's opinion. The entrance to the courtyard was a large wooden gate that was painted a dark crimson. The roof reminded Negi of the ones he had seen in pictures of ancient Chinese houses. He looked over at Ku Fei who was practically bouncing in excitement. She motioned for him to follow her and ran up to the doors. With great ease she flung the doors open and ran inside. Negi and Kamo shared a look with one another before following after her.

Negi's breath hitched as he walked into the courtyard. If the outside gate was amazing then this was nothing short of spectacular. The walkway was made of grey stone that led all throughout a magnificent courtyard. Neatly trimmed grass of the greenest color surrounded the walkway. Gardens of various small plants and trees lined the walls of the gigantic courtyard. Moon doors led the way to what appeared to be the east and west rooms. Negi's gaze came full circle back to a fountain in the middle of the courtyard with the pathway leading around it. Ku Fei stood in front of the fountain watching the water spill from the top layers to the large base.

"This is your house?" Negi asked, finally finding words. "This is incredible."

"You like it?" She asked with a bright smile.

"It's beautiful."

Ku Fei smiled and motioned for him to follow her again. She ran around the fountain and toward what Negi believed to be the main living room. The roof of the building was the same as the roof on the front gate and appeared to be supported by two large pillars out front. Though he got the feeling that these were more for decoration than support. Ku Fei ran up the couple of stairs and knocked on the door. Like the front gates these doors were painted red; four spotless glass windows with green lattices adorned the front door. Negi couldn't believe how incredible this place was.

"Can you believe this?" Kamo asked in awe.

Negi shook his head. "It's kind of hard."

**(A.N: From this point on I'm going to refer to Ku Fei as just Ku quite a bit. Especially when dealing with her family.)**

"_**Mama!"**_

"_**Ku! Honey what are you doing here!"**_

Negi turned around and saw Ku Fei embracing a woman that he assumed to be her mother. She was a little taller than Ku Fei but shorter than Negi. She was dressed in a pair of pant's similar to the ones her daughter was wearing. Except her's were a dark blue with what seemed to be little flowers scattered across them. For a top she wore a blue silk sleeveless shirt that had the same pattern as the pants. Her long blond hair was pulled back into a neat ponytail that fell to her mid-back. Big earth brown eyes shone with happiness from a face of flawless beauty. The hug she was giving her daughter looked like it would never end.

"_**What's all the noise out here?"**_

"_**Daddy!"**_

Another person appeared in the door, this time a man. The man was about as tall as Negi and the same build. Perhaps he was a little broader in the shoulders though. He was dressed in a black suit and dress shoes. With the exception of his hair the man reminded Negi of an important business man. Medium length brown hair was worn messy, framing a handsome face. Dark green eyes glinted from behind the mass of dark brown hair. Before he could get over the shock of seeing his daughter again she had thrown herself into his arms. The man lifted her up before setting her down and hugging her again.

"_**I missed you guys so much!" **_Ku Fei exclaimed.

"_**We missed you to dear. But what are you doing here?!" **_The man asked with a smile.

"_**And perhaps you would like to introduce us to your handsome young friend." **_The woman said with a smile.

"_**Must be her husband."**_

"_**Daddy!" **_Ku Fei blushed madly and motioned for Negi to come closer. Negi stepped up beside her and she motioned towards him. "Negi-kun these are my parents. My father Liu Fei and my mother Xue Fei." Now she turned to her parents and took a breath. Negi could tell that she was having trouble switching between Chinese and Japanese. _**"Mom, dad, this is Negi Springfield. One of my teachers in Japan."**_

Ku's parents turned towards Negi and bowed politely; Negi returned the favor with a smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you Springfield-sensei," Liu said in Japanese. "Ku has told us alot about you."

"You speak Japanese?" Negi asked in mild surprise.

"Of course," Xue replied. "You didn't think we would send our daughter to Japan without any knowledge of the language did you?"

Negi noticed the hint of amusement in her voice and smirked. "I suppose not."

"So why is my daughter back in China? And with her teacher at that. Did you two come here to get married?!"

"MAMA!" Ku Fei cried in embarrassment. Her cheeks flared up again making her face away from them.

Negi blushed as well but also smiled. "Not quite. Actually the reason is, er, complicated."

Liu nodded. "I am afraid that I will have to wait to here it. I must be off to work. Springfield-sensei it was a pleaseure to meet you." He said offering his hand to Negi.

Negi reached out to take Liu's proffered hand. When he did a mild tingle ran down his spine. Negi looked surprised but managed a smile. "Yes, it was a pleasure to meet you as well. And please call me Negi."

Liu nodded. "Of course." He knelt down beside his daughter and smiled. "Welcome home sweetie." He hugged Ku and kissed her on the cheek. He did the same to his wife and ran off towards the front gate.

Xue shook her head at her husband's rushing. "Well why don't you two come in? I was just making some tea."

"Come on Negi-kun!" Ku said, hurrying after her mother.

"Did you feel that Kamo-kun?"

Kamo poked his head out of his pocket and nodded. "Yeah. Don't ask questions right now."

Negi followed Ku Fei into the house and shut the door behind them. He was correct in assuming that this room was the living room. The floors of the room were entirely hardwood. The only area that was carpeted was in order to keep the furniture from scuffing the floor. A beige three person couch was sitting up against the wall on the right. Just in front of it was a glass coffee table with legs and a frame that appeard to be crafted from bamboo. At the ends of the table were two chairs that matched the couch. Against the wall across from the couch was a wooden t.v. stand that accomodated a large flat screen tv. On either side and all around the room for that matter were plants of various types. Once again Negi was surprised by the simplistic but beautiful decorations of the house.

Taking a closer look at the coffee table he saw that Xue was already setting tea for them. "Sit down dears." She said, as she poured tea for all of them. "Negi, how do you like your tea?"

"Oh! It's fine the way it is." He responded as he took a seat next to Ku on the couch.

Xue looked pleasantly surprised but smiled. "I heard that the English like alot of sweetners in their tea."

"I guess I'm the exception. You have a very beautiful home Mrs. Fei."

"Thank you." She smiled and presented him with his tea. "But please call me Xue." She poured a cup of tea for herself and then Ku. "So what brings you two to Beijing. Ku hasn't been causing any trouble."

Ku choked on her tea making Negi jump in surprise. "God mama!" She choked.

Negi chuckled and rubbed her back. "Actually I am here on business. Your daughter was kind enough to offer her assisstance. And I figured since she is doing better in school she could stand to miss a couple of days."

"Well I am glad that she is getting decent grades." There was a moment of silence before she looked back over at Negi. "Do not take this the wrong way Negi but you are not quite what I expected. When Ku told us you were ten I was expecting a cute little child. Yet, what I see is a handsome young man."

Negi's mind went blank for a second and judging by the way Ku suddenly became ridged so had hers. "Um, uh, growth spurt," he replied. "A major growth spurt."

Xue didn't look entirely convinced but nodded anyways. "Right." Kamo poked his head out of Negi's pocket, the smell of the freshly made tea drawing him towards the table. "Awww! Is that your pet?" Xue asked.

"Yes. His name is Kamo!"

Xue scooped the ermine up and felt his fur with his cheek. "He is so cute! And his fur is soft!"

"_Ha! Another woman drawn in by my manliness!"_

"Where are you staying while you're here Negi?"

"Actually mom I told him that it was okay for him to stay with us." Ku looked sheepish and scratched her cheek. "Is that okay."

"Of course it is!" She handed Kamo to Ku and stood up. "Let me go and get the spare room ready."

"Ah no! I wouldn't want you to go through any trouble!" Negi argued.

"No trouble at all. Ku, why don't you take Negi and show him the garden. That way he can meet your grandfather and Ling-Ling."

This seemed to excite the young blond. "Come on Negi-kun!" She jumped up and grabbed him by the hand.

Negi gave in and allowed her to pull him along to the back door. Kamo followed after them and managed to scramble up to Ku's shoulder. She threw open the doors and led him into the back yard. The backyard gardens made the front yard gardens look like nothing. A small bridge was built over a tiny stream that flowed through the yard. Lush gardens of exotic flowers littered the back yard. Just acroos the small river was a structure that served as a sort of outdoor tea area complete with tables and chairs. A thick grove of bamboo covered the far end of the back yard.

"You have to meat Ling-Ling!" Ku said.

"Is Ling-Ling like a cat or something?" Negi asked while examining a hibiscus flower.

"Cat?" Ku asked in confusion. She whistled and all of a sudden the bamboo started to sway.

"That is one big cat," Kamo replied.

All of a sudden a large panda bear burst forth from the bamboo. Its arms and hind legs were both covered by shiny black fur. The middle was snow white as was most of the head. Only its ears, nose and the bands around its eyes were painted black. As soon as the panda saw them it charged directly at them. Negi tried to insert himself between Ku and the panda but she jumped around him. Negi watched in shock as his student ran up to the panda and hugged it around the neck. In turn the panda licked her face making her laugh.

"Negi-kun meet Ling-Ling. Ling-Ling this is Negi-kun." She said introducing the panda.

Kamo, who had been hanging onto her shoulder out of fear turned to look at Negi. The two of them shared bewildered looks and Negi was the first to find his voice. "This is a panda bear," he stated the obvious.

"Of course it is silly," Ku replied. "I've had her since she was a baby! Come and pet her."

Negi gave her a cynical laugh and shook his head. "Th-that's okay."

"Come on! She's sweet. I promise that she won't hurt you."

Negi looked at the panda that was now sitting and staing at Kamo in confusion. Negi sighed and walked up to the panda. As he got closer Ling-Ling turned to look at him and he stopped. Ku groaned and pulled him closer motioning for him to pet her. Negi reluctantly reached a hand out to pet the bear and she began sniffing his hand. After a second she nudged his hand, indicating that she wished to be petted. Negi smiled and gently ran his hand across her head. Ling-Ling allowed Negi to pet her a little bit more before she reached out with her arms and pulled him close. Literally locking himin a bear hug.

Ku giggled. "See she likes you."

"Like...her...to," Negi breathed out, "can't...breathe...though..."

"Okay, let him go Ling-Ling."

Ling-Ling gave a small grunt of affirmation and let Negi go. As he tried to gasp for air he noticed someone sitting off to the far left. The man reminded him of the headmaster. At least in the long white beard. His wizened face had a few wrinkles but seemed very strong. He was dressed in what looked like the white robes of a master. His eyes were closed in deep meditation while he sat in his zen garden. Negi watched the old man with great interest. He seemed like the picture of serenity. The old man opened his eyes and turned to look at them. A smile appeared on his face and his green eyes shone as if he were a young man. Ku walked over to him and knelt down in front of him.

"Hello grandpa," she said quietly. After a second of hesitation she jumped forward into his arms. Again Kamo was almost thrown off. "I missed you so much!" She said, tears burning her eyes. Negi smiled, knowing that Ku was very fond of her grandfather.

"I knew you were coming," the old man said. " I just didn't know when."

Ku brushed her eyes with the back of her sleeve and smiled. "You know everything. Grandpa I would like you to meet my friend Negi Springfield. Negi this is my grandfather Jian."

Negi smiled and bowed to the elder man. "A pleasure to meet you sir."

Jian bowed before standing up to to take a better look at Negi. He was a short man, made even shorter because he walked hunched over. "You are a very strong person young Springfield."

Negi looked a little confused to this statement and cocked his head. "What makes you say that sir?"

"Well, you _are_ able to put up with my granddaughter."

Ku slapped her forehead and groaned. "Not you to grandpa."

"I have heard alot about you during our training. It's a pleasure to meet the man that taught Ku-chan martial arts."

"Well I did my best," Jian replied. He cocked his head towards Ku Fei, "This one has head like a rock though. I'm not sure how much made it through."

"Hey! I'm right here!" Ku cried in exasperation. Kamo snickered and she flicked him on the head. In retaliation the ermine stole one of her hair ornaments and sprinted across the yard. "Hey come back here with that!" She cried giving chase to the ermine.

Negi, Jian, and it seemed like even Ling-Ling were laughing at her. The rest of the day went by in a pretty normal fashion. Liu came home later in the evening and they all had dinner together. Negi liked Ku's family. All of them were warm, fun, and caring people. It was obvious to him by now that her family had alot of money. Yet, they didn't let it go to their heads like most people. As far as Negi could tell none of them had a selfish bone in their body. Dinner was a particularly fun event as he was able to learn about what Ku was like when she was younger. Of course this embarrassed her to no end and her parents seemed to enjoy torturing her. He was also glad that he was only asked about his sunglasses once and that they accepted his excuse of his eyes being sensitive to light. Right now though was a time for him to focus on the task at hand. Everyone was asleep and it was time for him to sneak out.

"Are you ready Aniki?" Kamo asked.

Negi finished tieing his shoes and checked to make sure that he had his ring. "Yeah. Let's go." He offered his hand to the ermine and Kamo climbed up onto his shoulder.

Negi walked over to the window of his room and opened it up. Being careful to make as little noise as possible he climbed out of the window. His feet hit the ground and he quickly ran through the dark yard. He passed through one of the side moon doors and into the front yard. He took a quick look around and noticed no one was there. Negi walked over towards the front gate and was about walk out when a voice stopped him.

"Are you going somewhere?"

Negi looked up and saw Ku Fei sitting on top of the gate. She was dressed in the outfit she always wore when training. She leapt down from the gate and landed in front of Negi. "Wh-what are you doing up?" Negi asked.

"I thought I would go for a walk in the gardens," she said.

Negi didn't believe her for one second and shook his head. "You are not going with us Ku-chan," he said firmly.

Kamo nodded in agreement with Negi. "Yeah, it's too dangerous."

"Well if it's too dangerous for me then it is for you to," she said seriously.

Negi sighed and looked down at the ground. He reached his fingers under his glasses and rubbed his eyes. For a second silence reigned as Negi watched the fireflies swarm around them. He looked to Kamo who merely shrugged. Negi had the feeling that if he didn't let her go with them then she would try to physically stop them and he didn't want that.

"...Fine, you can come." Ku didn't smile but she did nod. "But you have to stay next to me and if something happens I want you to get out. Understand?"

"Yes sensei," she answered coolly.

Negi flinched, she had never spoken to him like that before. "I-I need you to think of a place in Tokyo."

Ku closed her eyes and did as she was told. Negi walked over to her and put one hand on her head. His other arm wrapped around her waist and held her tightly. For a second he was able to search her head to find the picture that was strong enough. Kamo climbed into his jacket pocket and settled himself in for the ride. The wind around them started to pick up and brought some leaves down from the tree. The wind switched course and swirled the leaves around them. The wind swirled faster and faster until they were encased in Negi's aura. Which he now noticed had changed from blue to a reddish purple. In a brief flash the two of them disappeared.

The two of them felt weightless from using the magical form of transportation. When Negi opened his eyes they were in a dark alley. He looked around and then back at Ku Fei who was running the back of her head. It looked as though she had no idea why they were in an alley either.

"You imagined an alley?" Negi asked.

The blond shook her head. "I imagined a store. Maybe it's gone now?"

"Or I didn't read the memory properly."

"Come on, we need to look for the Jade Palace," Kamo said. He climbed back onto Negi's shoulder and looked at Ku Fei.

"You mean that place over there?" Ku asked, pointing behind them.

Negi turned around and saw a large building just across the street from their alley. The place looked rather nice and through the throngs of people Negi could see a gaurd at the door. The neon sign above the door was in Chinese and sort of hard for him to read. He readjusted his glasses to make sure that they were on all of the way. He motioned for Ku to follow him and they made their way across the crowded streets. The man guarding the door was young but very menacing looking. At least now she had an idea as to why Negi wanted her to stay close to him. As usual the point of a guard was to keep out people that he thought unusual. So when Negi walked by wearing sunglasses and an ermine the guard naturally stepped in his way.

"_**What is your business here?" **_He asked in a deep voice.

"Just for fun," Negi replied. The guard didn't seem to understand Japanese so Negi merely lifted up his left hand. On his ring finger was a silver ring that Ku didn't recognize. The guard waved them through and Negi released a baited breath. "Xie xie."

Negi led Ku Fei into the dimly lit club at a liesurely pace. The club was packed full of people most of them in black and blue suits. Negi noticed that he fit in more than he thought as a lot of the men were wearing sunglasses to. Tables were spread throughout the club infront of a stage that was obviously meant for karaoke and other performances. A bar was up against the back wall with a few people ordering drinks and talking Negi handed Kamo over to Ku and walked towards the bar.

"Kamo-kun, why does this ba have a guard at the door?"

Kamo looked at Ku Fei and scratched his head. "Do you notice anything about the people in this place Ku-nee-san?"

Ku looked around the bar for a second and her eyes widened. She turned around to look at Kamo waved her arms frantically. "These are triads! Te deadliest gang in China."

"Stop drawing attention!" Kamo chastised. "Let's stay near Aniki."

Ku nodded and ran up to Negi's side. He gave her a glance and sat down at the bar. "Ku-chan ask him if he knows where a man named Lo Fong is."

Ku Fei was nervous beyond imagination. She didn't know how Negi could remain calm when surrounded by killers. Then again she had no idea how he felt because of those glasses. Her eyes drifted down to his shaking hand and she realized that he was just as frightened as she was. He smirked at her to cover up his fear and she nodded.

"_**Excuse me?"**_ She said timidly. The bartender turned and looked at her with a strange expression. _**"D-do you kn-know a man named L-Lo Fong?"**_

The bartender as well as the man next to Negi turned to look at them. Negi took a quick look around and noticed that at least three other men were looking at them. In the next instant the man at Negi's left side swung at him with a back hand. Negi pushed himself out of his seat and rolled backwards across the ground. He righted himself and saw the man that tried to attack him plus another rush at him. The one that tried to initially attack him threw a sharp left at Negi's face. Negi moved to the left and gripped the man's wrist with his right hand. He pulled the man down and elbowed him in the back of his head. Then in one swift movement punched forward with his right hand striking the next attacker in the face. On pure instinct he brought his right leg back catching an attacker in the sternum.

Ku stared at her apprentice in shock. She was surprised that he could move so well with a body that he had just obtained a few days ago. Out of the corner of her ey she caught sight of a man rushing at Negi. She brought her left hand back catching the man in the neck with the back of her hand. The attacker dropped fast and another, realizing here as a threat tried to attack her. He rushed her and struck down low at her abdomen. Ku brought her hands down to block the attack; then continuing the motion she slammed both hands into her attacker's chest. The force of the blow sent him tumbling across the ground and knocking two more men over. She jumped over so that her back was against Negi's. Before she realized what was happening they were surrounded by men.

"I think we might be in trouble!" Kamo replied.

Negi was about to respond when he felt a sudden wieght in his hands. Looking down he saw the two whips appear in his hands. Wasting no time he lashed out with the whip in his left hand. The men ducked successfully avoiding the attack. Unfortunately, Negi wasn't very adept at using whips and wasn't prepared for the backlash. The whip shot back at him slicing open his cheek. The pain only stopped him for a second before he struck out with the whip in his right hand as well. As soon as the whip lifted into the air a knife struck it, pinning it to the wooden surface of the bar.

Negi looked up and saw two people standing near a back hallway of the club. One was a woman in a red dress but the one that caught his attention was the man. He was a handsome young man dressed in a crisp white suit. His black hair was pulled back into a short but neat ponytail. As he drew closer to them the men parted to make room for him. As he got closer Negi was able to make out the red shirt and black tie he wore under the jacket. Ku Fei turned to look at him and saw a scar on his right cheek. She couldn't believe that was the man they were looking for. At the most he had to be seventeen! His cold brown eyes swiveled back and forth between her and Negi.

"_**You better have a good reason for starting a fight in my club,"**_ the man said. His eyes shifted over to Kamo and then back to Negi. It looked as though he was going to have a heart attack. "Ne-Negi? Is that you?"

The whips in Negi's hands faded away and the knife fell to the ground with a dull clunk. "It-its been a long time Lo."

Lo shook his head. "No. You aren't him you can't be. Get out of here now." The man said in a deadly voice. He turned his back on them and started to walk back to the back.

"_**Brother!"**_ Negi called out in Chinese. _**"We made a promise!"**_ Negi yelled as the guards started to force them towards the door.

Lo shook his head and glanced down at the ground. _**"Wait!" **_The men stopped pushing Negi and Ku Fei and waited for new orders. "Li."

"_**Yes?"**_ Asked the woman in the red dress.

"_**...Show those two to my office. I will be with them shortly."**_

Li nodded and beckoned for Negi and Ku to follow her to the back. Negi pulled his arm free from one of the men and follwed after her with Ku right behind him. As he passed by Lo the two young men shared a small glance.

**Ten Minutes Later**

Negi and Ku Fei were sitting in a large room at the back of the club. The office was luxuriously decorated with vases, rugs and other artifacts of Chinese culture. Weapons were another common theme as they littered the walls. The floor was covered in a lush black carpet that traveled from wall to wall. The were painted a dark shade of red. Just in front of them was a desk with papers scattered all over the surface. All in all the office was rather nice. Negi only noticed one thing though. Ever since they entered the office Ku had been giving him the cold shoulder and he wasn't sure why.

Negi scratched the back of his head nervously. He may have been grown in body but that was the only way. "Did, um, did I do something wrong?"

Ku turned her glare on him scaring both him and Kamo. "You have a brother that's a leader of the triads. And all of this time I've known you I never knew you could speak Chinese! Why didn't you tell about this!"

"...I wanted to rpotect you," Negi answered quietly. "And Lo isn't really my brother."

"That's nice to here!" Negi turned his head around and saw Lo walking towards them. "You have a lot of nerve coming here!" He walked around the desk and took a seat.

"Lo I really-"

"Stop right there!" He said icily. "First tell me why you are here! Then tell me what the hell happened to you!"

"This is why I'm here! Ku-chan and I-"

"Wait? Who is Ku-chan?"

"Nihao!" Ku greeted offering her hand.

"Nice to meet you. Okay, now go!"

"I was attacked by this woman named Aizawa Azumi," Negi started. "She broke my staff and knocked me out. Anyways, I had this dream where I was being changed by some spirit. When I woke up I looked like this!"

Lo was silent for a second so that the information could sink in. Once it got through he shook his head. "Someone used insertion on you?"

Kamo nodded. "That's right. We have no idea who or how. But Aniki thought that you might be able to help him." He jumped down on the desk and motioned with his arms.

"Mhm?" Lo nodded and pointed at Ku Fei. "And what is your roll in all of this?"

"Me?" Ku asked, pointing to herself. "I'm just here to help Negi-kun."

"And since we're talking about this in front of you it is safe to assume that you are his partner?"

Ku blushed and shook her head. Kamo noticed the look on her face but chose to remain quiet for now. "N-no! I'm his martial arts instructor and his student. I just know about magic."

Lo nodded. "I would say that your teachings are effective. Negi used to be quite weak." Negi sweat dropped at Lo's insult. Somethigns would never change. "I do not have a cure if that's what you are looking for."

Negi shook his head. "I am not looking for a cure. Just some answers. What do you say Aniki?"

Lo sighed and rubbed his temples. "It's been awhile since anyone called me that. Where's your mark?"

"My mark?"

"When insertion takes place a mark appears on the victim. The mark is usually a symbol that represents the attacker. The mark is placed after insertion but may not appear for a few days."

Negi nodded. "The mark is on my back. But I don't want to show you here." He nodded towards Ku Fei.

Lo nodded and stood up. "Come with me then. Ku-san, feel free to look around the office. Just don't touch anything on the desk," he warned her.

Negi got up and followed Lo to a door off to the side. Before he walked through the door he turned and gave Ku Fei an apologetic smile. The young blond looked down at her lap sadly. "He doesn't trust me does he Kamo-kun?"

Kamo shook his head and patted her hand. "Not that. He just didn't want you to see his mark."

"Why not?"

"The same reason he didn't want you to come along. He's trying to protect you. Aniki cares too much about you to let something bad happen to you."

"Whoa!" The room that Lo took Negi into was nothing more than a closet made for storage. Lo looked at the mark on Negi's back. "It looks like you've been burned. I can see why you didn't want her to see this."

"What do you think?"

Lo ran a finger across the scars and shook his head. "I'm not sure what to think. Most marks are just like a tattoo. This guy burned you . It looks like a tiger but I think he messed up near the bottom though."

"Does the mark look familiar to you?" Negi asked hopefully.

"Nope. All I can tell you is that this guy is one sick bastard."

"Damn!" Negi lowered his shirt and turned around. "No one knows anything about him. It's like he just appeared out of thin air."

Lo saw the distressed look on the face of the person he had once called brother and felt a twinge of pain. "No one just comes out of nowhere," he said. "Is this guy is as powerful as we think then he's been around for a while. That means that there has to be something on him." Negi sighed and nodded. Lo smiled and placed his hand on Negi's shoulder. "Come on we don't want to keep your girlfriend waiting."

Negi blushed but felt to tired to refute the claim. He followed his older brother out of the door. When they walked back out of the office they saw Ku Fei testing some of the weapons. She was playing with what appeared to be tonfas. These tonfas were different though. Instead of wood they appeared to be made of highly polished silver. Not only that but the part used for attacking were blades meant for killing instead of stunning. **(A.N: For those who have seen the movie Hellboy think of the weapons that that Kroenen carried. He's the masochist in the mask.)**

Lo cleared his throat. Ku Fei jumped and almost dropped one of the tonfas on the ground. "Like them do you?" Lo asked. It seemed like he was mad but Negi had the feeling he was amused.

Ku placed the weapons down on the desk looking ashamed of herself. "S-sorry. I couldn't help it. I 've never seen a pair of tonfa swords before."

Lo smiled. "They are quite remarkable. They used to belong to a Triad general in our magical unit. When he died he passed them on to me and asked that I take his place." He walked over to the desk and ran a finger over one of the blades.

"I'm sorry I ddin't know," she said shamefully.

"Think nothing of it," Lo said. He walked over motioning for Negi to join him and Ku Fei. "Where's Kamo?"

Kamo popped out of a jar on his desk that used to contain candy. A sheepishe smile appeared on the ermine's face. "Sorry about that."

"Right. So how long are you going to be here for Negi?"

"We're going back to Japan on Sunday," Negi replied.

"Right then," Lo sighed. "I don't know how to help exactly. But I will go over my texts and have my men on detail. Whatever we find I will report to you."

"Thank you Lo!" Negi cried. He reached across the desk and grabbed the older man in a tight hug.

"St-stop that!" Lo smacked him on the head forcing Negi to release him.

"Thank you for your help," ku said with a bow. "Do you need me to write down where we'll be."

"No. Best not to tell me. If we need to find you we will. Now listen to me," he said seriously. The other three nodded and paid rapt attention to the man. "Things are very dangerous for you right now Negi. For all of you. While you are here tell no one else about this. And trust no one but me. Do otherwise and you'll never make it back to Japan.

**End Chapter

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**

**That was a long chapter! Sorry about switching things up with Ku Fei's name but it makes things a little easier for me. Let me know what you guys thought! And I will update asap! Peace!**


	5. Chapter 5: Everyone Knows!

**Hello! If it takes me awhile to update it's because I can't find a reliable internet service or because my computer sucks. I want my laptop back. Let's get started!**

**Me: Kamo-kun read the disclaimer for me.**

**Kamo: I'm busy!**

**Me: Ooh nice laptop!**

**Kamo: Mako does not own Negima or my laptop!**

**Me: Give it to me!

* * *

**

**Chapter 5: Everyone Knows!**

Asuna sighed as she stared up at the ceiling from her bed. The last couple nights of her life had been spent in restless sleep. It was Thursday now and there was still no sign of Negi. He hadn't shown up for classes and he hadn't come home either. No one that she asked seemed to know where he was' not even Kotarou or Takamichi knew of his whereabouts. Another thing she had come to quickly realize was that Ku Fei had gone missing to. Haruna told her that the last time she had seen either of them was Tuesday. After that though it appeared that the two of them just vanished from the face of the earth. One more seat was empty in the class now creating all kinds of rumors about the missing teacher and student. Seruhiko had taken over their classes and was being grilled constantly. Unfortunately he was about as wel informed as she was. If Negi was missing then that meant something happened to both him and Ku Fei.

Asuna curled up in the fetal position and cuddled with her pillow. This was one of those things that always made her feel helpless. If there was one thing that Asuna hated it was feeling helpless. She turned on her side again and looked at the clock. It was almost time to get ready for her paper route. Her hand reached over to shut off the clock before it could ring and wake up Konoka. If possible the brunette had lost even more sleep over this than she had. Konoka blamed herself for Negi leaving but never gave Asuna a straight answer as to why. The redhead rolled over and quietly climbed out of bed. She grabbed her clothes from the dresser and walked into the bathroom to get changed. Thankfully she had taken her shower last night before going to bed. Though if she had time when she got back she would probably take another.

Almost as soon as she finished getting dressed there came a knock at the door. Asuna hurried out of the bathroom and opened the door. Setsuna was standing there with a small smile plastered on her face. That was something else that bothered Asuna about this whole thing. It was very rare to see Setsuna give a full blown smile but when she did it was beautiful and warm. Over the last couple of days she rarely smiled and if she did it was thin and fake. Setsuna was already dressed in the school uniform and a black denim jacket. Slung over her shoulder was her faithful blade Yuunagi. Asuna always wondered how Setsuna was so easily able to get ready in the morning.

"Are you ready to go?" Setsuna asked quietly. She didn't want to wake up Konoka.

"Yeah. Just let me slip on my shoes."

"You should get a jacket to. It's pretty cold outside."

Asuna shook her head as she slipped her shoes on. "Don't worry about me I'll be fine. Come on!"

The duo walked down the dimly lit halls of the dorms side by side. Neither of them had a word to say to the other. Or if they did none of them were really worth saying. As their bodies hit the cool morning air Asuna shivered a little. Sitll it was nothing that she couldn't handle. Even though she kept telling herself that she didn't feel as though she could handle it. She was fine until the winds came, shilling her to the bone. Of course she wouldn't admit to Asuna that she was getting cold. No that would show weakness and she had already shown to much of that to her friend and master. By the time they reached the office she was almost completely frozen over. It was a small price to pay in order to keep face.

"I'll wait for you out here," Setsuna said. She leaned against the wall of the building and closed her eyes.

Asuna nodded. "Right. I'll only be a minute." Asuna walked into the small building. Immediately she brought her hands up and started blowing on them to get the warmth back.

"Asuna-chan what are you doing out without a jacket?!" Scolded a middle aged man that was one of her bosses.

"It's not that cold out," she protested weakly.

"Liar."

Asuna turned around to see a boy a couple of years older than her standing in front of her. He had long black hair that he wore loosely about his shoulders. Pale mint green eyes stared back at her from behind thin squared lenses. He was dressed in a black version of the boys high school outfit. The smirk on his handsome face made caused Asuna to glare at him. He brushed a strand of hair out of his face and shook his head in amusement.

"You never can admit when you are beaten. Good morning Asuna-chan."

"Good morning Oyama-kun." Oyama Taketo was one of Asuna's fellow paper deliverers. He was a nice guy at heart but he liked to tease her every chance that he got. Asuna ignored him this time and walked over to start packing her delivery bag.

Taketo scrunched his face up and walked over beside her. "Something wrong," he asked. "You usually have a comeback for me!"

"...I'm worried about someone that's all. I've just been losing some sleep." Asuna wouldn't dare tell him that her friend was a boy. Taketo would never let her live it down.

He nodded in understanding. "You wanna go home? I can cover your route for you."

Asuna smiled at the older boys concern for her. "That's alright I can handle it."

"Is Setsuna-san with you this morning?"

"Yeah."

"I guess that I don't have to worry so much then." He handed his bag over to her and smiled. "My bag is already packed. It should save you at least a little time."

Asuna accepted the bag from him with a smile. "Thanks. I'll see you later." She gave him one last wave before walking out of the building. Setsuna was still in the same spot with her eyes closed in concentration. For a second all Asuna could do was watch her friend. There was such a peaceful look on Setsuna's face that she didn't want to disturb her.

"Ready to go already?" Setsuna asked without opening her eyes.

Asuna shook her head and nodded. "Yeah. How did you know that it was me?"

Setsuna smirked and started to walk away from her. Asuna ran to catch up to her and slowed int step with her. "I'm use to your presence. Everyone's presence has a certain effect on me." Asuna was about to ask what affect hers had when Setsuna cut her off. "That isn't your bag."

Asuna blinked at the statement. "Oh. This is Oyama-kun's. It was already packed and he thought that it would save me some time."

"You know I think that Oyama-san has a crush on you." Setsuna meant this as a joke, yet when she said it she felt a pang inside. She didn't know what the feeling was but she knew she had felt it before.

"Oyama-kun!" Asuna exclaimed. Her route wasn't far from the building and they had already reached one of the homes. She pushed the paper into the box and continued on. "I doubt it. Guys like him are more into the sporty and academic type of girl. Not the demon slaying kind."

Setsuna smiled and shook her head. "Not many are."

Asuna looked over at her friend in surprise. Setsuna never talked about boys and dating in an open way before. "I guess that we just have to try really hard then," Asuna replied.

"...I can never get close to anyone in that way." Asuna looked over and noticed the bitter smile on her companions face. Setsuna ran a hand through her hair. "I could never put anyone through that."

Asuna knew what she was talking about and it always made her feel bad that Setsuna couldn't see past her demon blood. She reached a hand out to touch her shoulder. Before she had the chance she felt the weight of Setsuna's jacket around her body. Asuna looked down at the jacket and when she looked back up Setsuna wasn't standing beside her anymore. She had walked ahead of her keeping her eyes on the ground, For a second Asuna listened to the tap of her friends shoes against the pavement. Then coming to her senses she ran up beside her companion once again. For the rest of the route barely a word was exchanged between the two of them.

"Are you guys ready to go?" Konoka asked. "It won't be the same without everyon but..."

Asuna, Setsuna, and Kaede all looked up from their seats. The four of them were supposed to meet up with the Library Group to go shopping. It was Konoka's idea; she thought that it would help them take their minds off of Negi and Ku Fei. Asuna smiled and stood up. Class was over and they had the rest of the day to themselves. Perhaps a little shopping would do wonders for them. Especially since it was rare to get Setsuna to agree to a shopping trip.

Kaede snapped her fingers. Her normally narrow eyes opened a little wider. "I forgot. I have to go meet with Kotarou-kun. We have a training session today." She gathered up her bag and walked towards the door. "Sorry. Maybe tomorrow." She called before running off down the hall.

Asuna sighed Even Kaede had been affcted by Negi leaving. She knew for a fact that the ninja didn't have a training date with the inu. "Ready to go! I'm not gonna let that little Negi brat ruin my life!"

Setsuna winced noticeably at the mention of Negi's name. "You know you do that a lot." The three of them turned towards the door and saw Haruna standing there.

"Wh-what do you mean Haruna-san?" Setsuna asked.

"You know Setchan," Konoka began, "you do act kind of funny every time someone mentions Negi kun or Ku-chan!"

"It-it must be y-your imagination. Let's go shopping!" Setsuna grabbed her sword and hurried out the door of the class.

"You think she might actually know something?" Haruna asked. "I was just joking."

"Maybe. Setsuna-chan never acts like that about shopping," Asuna replied.

Haruna turned and looked at Asuna oddly. "Setsuna-chan?"

"Konoka-kun!" Seruhiko walked into the classroom and smiled at the girls."The headmaster wishes to see you."

Konoka groaned and looked down at the ground. "You guys had better go without me. Sorry."

Asuna watched Konoka follow Seruhiko out of the door and turned to Haruna. "Come on."

* * *

"Do you really think that she knows something about Negi-kun and Ku Fei-san?" Haruna asked. 

Asuna and Haruna were walking at the back of the group keeping an eye on Setsuna. The three of them plus Yue and Nodoka were finally out on their shopping trip. The five of them were looking for a place to get something to eat first. But Asuna didn't care about any of that. She to had noticed that Setsuna acted funny every time their missing friends were mentioned. There was no doubt in her mind that Setsuna knew something of their whereabouts. Still Asuna would have liked to think that if Setsuna did know something then she would tell her and Konoka at the least. If she did know then she would find out.

"I don't know maybe I can get her to tell me," Asuna replied.

"Get who to tell you what?" Yue asked making them jump. They both looked at the shorter girl who was staring back at them as if they were crazy. "Anyways, we're going to eat at this place over here. They have outdoor tables."

Asuna looked at the little resturaunt and nodded. Though the mornings were cold the days and nights were rather warm. "Right."

The three of them joined Nodoka and Setsuna at the door to the resturaunt. Before they entered Haruna quickly grabbed Setsuna and Asuna by the backs of their shirts. "Why don't you two tell me what you want and go find a table?" She winked at Asuna who nodded in understanding.

"Come on Setsuna-chan." Asuna grabbed the brunette by the hand and forcefully led her to a table.

Setsuna looked at Asuna as if she had grown a second head while she sat down. Asuna sat down next to her and moved her chair unnaturally close. "Um, Asuna-san is something wrong? You're acting kind of strange."

Asuna shook her head. "No! Not at all," she said in siceningly sweet voice. _'Setsuna isn't stupid,' _he thought. _'If I want to get anything from her then I have to be tactful.'_ Asuna took a deep breath in preparation of her master plan. **"Where the hell are they!"**

Setsuna jumped and shrunk back from Asuna. "Wh-who?!" She asked. To say that Asuna's outburst startled her would have to be an understatement.

"You know who! Negi and Ku Fei! Where are they!" She grabbed Asuna's hand and looked her dead in the eye. "Setsuna-chan, if you know anything please tell me!" She begged.

Setsuna looked away from her and sighed. "K-Ku trusts me." Looking back at Asuna was a mistake. The hurt look in the redhead's eyes made her feel even more guilty. "...Okay. But promise that you won't freak out."

Asuna nodded. "I promise!"

**Meanwhile in China...**

Negi caught an open palm strike that knocked him off balance. Ku grabbed his arm and reached behind him with her right leg. Negi tripped over the leg and fell flat on his back. He stared up at the sky through shaded eyes and groaned. During the fight in the club last night Negi had felt a little wierd.As he had thought it was going to take him awhile to get used to fighting in this body. That's why he insisted on training again as soon as possible. Ku Fei had readily agreed to this and so here they were in the back garden. Ku reached down to help him to his feet and Negi accepted. Kamo smirked from his position on top of Ling-Ling's head. That was about the tenth time that the blond had knocked Negi on his ass.

"Some people never learn eh?" He asked Ling-Ling. In response the bear merely gave a shake of her head.

"Come on Negi-kun, it's time for a break now," Ku ordered.

Negi shook his head. "This body is amazing. The reach, speed and strength are greater. If I could just get used to it!"

"Breaks are essential to training. Work too hard and you'll hurt yourself."

Negi looked at his master and smiled. "I suppose you are right. Besides, didn't your mom say something about lunch soon."

"Always thinking with your stomach," Ku joked.

Negi smiled at her. "This coming from the girl that knows the location of every nikuman stand in the Mahora area."

"That's different." She blushed and shook her head. "That's nikuman. The best food in the world. Of course I know all of the stand locations."

"So nikuman is more important than my home cooked meals?" The two of them turned around and saw Xue standing there with her hands on her hips. She was wearing a pink apron and had a large wooden spoon in one hand. "That's not all you have been eating over in Japan is it?"

"Busted," Negi whispered out the corner of his mouth.

Ku glared at him and turned back to look at her mother. Her face quickly changed back to an innocent smile and she scratched the back of her head. _**"Of course not! I always eat healthy stuff honest!" **_

Negi pointed down at her head and nodded. Ku saw this and swiped his hand away from her as though it were a fly. _**"Without Satsuki-san all you would eat is nikuman."**_

"_**Liar. Who are you going to believe? Him or your daughter?"**_

Xue placed a hand on her cheek and nodded. _**"Well I know you pretty well. So him." **_Negi and Xue smiled at the groan that came from Ku. _**"Lunch in ten minutes."**_ She walked back inside with a wave of her hand.

Negi turned to Ku and smiled. "I think that we should go and get ready."

She glared up at him. "I hate you."

Negi laughed and shook his head. "No you don't," he said.

'_No I don't,' _she thought in exasperation. _'I don't think that I could ever hate him.'_

As Ku Fei pondered her thoughts Negi picked his jacket up off of the ground. It was a warm day so he had abandoned it in order to train. He looked down at the high school uniform and shook his head. He really needed to go shopping and get some new clothes. Locks of cilver hair hung down in front of his face and clung to his sweaty forehead. He brushed them back and turned around to look at his master. Her green eyes were still focused on the ground in deep thought. Negi walked over and waved his hand in front of her face.

"Are you okay Ku-chan?"

Ku shook her head and looked up at her disciple. She had been thinking so much that she didn't even notice that he was there. Ironically he was also the subject of her thoughts. "I'm fine," she replied. "Just a little distracted. Let's go get ready to eat."

Negi watched her walk by and stop to pet Ling-Ling for a second. When she walked inside Kamo turned and gave Negi a curious stare. Negi just shrugged and followed after her. On his way he picked Kamo up and gave the panda a pat on the head. At first the idea of having a bear as a pet struck Negi as kind of odd. Then again her owner was a little odd herself and Negi wouldn't have it any other way. He walked through the house at a slow and leisurely pace. The house was huge and easy to get a little turned around in if your wern't careful. Finally Negi came to the door of his room in the east side of the house. He opened the door and walked inside. On the table near the bed he noticed a flashing light from his cell phone.

"Huh?" He walked over and sat down on the bed. Kamo jumped off and waited for him to check the phone. Negi picked it up and his eyes widened. "Thirty missed calls!"

"That's a lot of missed calls," Kamo replied. "Maybe they're from Ane-san or Konoka-nee-san!"

Negi choked the phone and nodded. "Some of them are. A lot of them are from Setsuna-san!" Just as he was about to check his voicemail the phone started to ring. Without thinking he pressed the recieve button and answered. "Hello?" Negi's eyes widened and he almost dropped the phone. "Asuna-san!"

"Ane-san?!" Kamo asked, walking closer so that he could hear.

"How are you doing today?" Negi asked innocently.

"_Don't give me that innocent tone of voice you brat!"_ Asuna shouted from the other end. _"Why are you in China?!"_

"How do you know about that?!"

"_Ku-chan left a note for Setsuna-chan!"_ Negi took a second to process this and smacked himself in the head. _"How could you just go off to China without saying anything?! You have everyone worried sick!"_

"You all are worried about us?!" Negi asked in surprise.

"_Of course! You just run off without a word. What the hell were you thinking you selfish little brat!You never think of anyone but yourself!" _

Negi bristled at her words. If only she knew why he left. "Asuna-san...the people that attacked me turned me into something other than human," Negi argued back. "That woman broke my staff. And I think that-that I may have killed because of them. I had to come to China. I didn't bring you because I didn't want you to get hurt!"

"_But it's okay for Ku-chan to be in danger? You know I knew about magic before she did!"_

"This is no time for you to get jealous! I didn't want to put her in danger but she forced me to take her! I thought it would be better if you didn't come is all!"

"No! You didn't even tell me that you were going! All of a sudden you don't even trust me!"

Negi said the first words that came to mind. "After the way you acted maybe I can't!" Kamo looked up at Negi. This was the first time he had ever heard them really fight since the dragon incident.

"You jerk! You're so self-"

Negi turned and threw his phone as hard as he could. The phone smashed into the wall breaking in half and making Kamo jump. Negi looked down at the broken phone taking deep and heavy breaths. He turned on his heels and slung his jacket over his shoulder. Kamo tried to ask him where he was going but it was too late. Negi jumped out of the window in a flash of black cloth and silver hair.

* * *

Konoka groaned as she walked out of her grandfather's office. Why did he have to call her in there for something like that? Something that she didn't even care about? That was her fourth O-miai that week! It wasn't that she didn't like any of the men or think that they weren't nice looking. She just didn't want to find someone in that manner. Besides that most of the men were at least twice her age. Asuna would have liked that but it wasn't her. Speaking of Asuna she had to think of something new to do with her day. She had no idea where the others were and even if she called them it would take awhile to find the place. She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't even realize where she was going. 

"Oomph!" Konoka felt herself smack into something solid and she stumbled back a little. "Sorry! I wasn't paying any attention!"

"No it was my fault I...Konoka-chan?"

Konoka looked up and saw a friendly face smiling down at her. "Kazumi-chan?! Are you okay?"

Kazumi gave her the usual grin and nodded. "I'm fine. Are you?"

"Yes. So what brings you around here?"

"Um...I live on capmus?" Kazumi guessed. Konoka heard a bird chirp and looked up to see it flying over her head. When had she gotten outsude?! "Um, are you okay Konoka-chan? You seem a little distracted." Kazumi said in concern.

Konoka shook her head and turned to her friend. "I'm just a little upset. Grandpa set up another o-miai for me. And it kind of ruined my plans for the day."

"Oh," Kazumi replied. She had no idea what it was like to have a marriage arranged and shook her head. "That's rough." Her eyes suddenly lit up with an idea. "Hey Sayo-chan couldn't...no never mind." She finished sheepishly, rubbing the back of her head.

"No! What is it?!" Konoka hated when people did that to her! It always got her excited.

"Well I have a tip that two faculty members are secretely dating."

"Isn't that frowned upon?"

"Exactly! And the editor want's his top reporter on it!" Kazumi smiled proudly. "Anyways. It won't be really fun or anything. But would you like to come along?"

"Sure!" Konoka said brightly. Kazumi had never even seen Sayo that enthusiastic. "I've always wanted to do something like this!"

Kazumi smiled brightly at the brunette. "Alright! Come on then!" She grabbed Konoka's wrist and led her to their destination.

About fifteen minute later Konoka found herself sitting at a table outside of a small cafe. There was something wrong with this scene though. If she had to take a wild shot in the dark she would say it was the blond wig that she was wearing. She looked across the table at her companion and cocked her head curiously. Kazumi was wearing a black wig in the style of a page boy cut. A pair of dark sunglasses blocked her eyes from view. The only thing normal about her was that she was wearing her school uniform. Konoka was curious about this and couldn't keep herself from asking.

"Kazumi-chan?" She asked, sipping at a cup of tea.

"Hm?"

"Why are we wearing these wigs?"

Kazumi turned to her and gave her a small smile. "Because silly everyone knows us. And if the target takes one look at me they won't do anything."

"Oh," Konoka nodded in understanding. As she looked at Kazumi she realized just how little she knew the redheaded reporter. Maybe this would be a good time to get to know her. "Um, Kazumi-chan I don't really know too much about you. No one does really."

Kazumi laughed and took a drink of her coffee. "I've spent my whole life finding and revealing the secrets of others. It's only natural that I would get good at hiding my own."

"But...why? Why do you feel the need to hide things about you?"

"No ones ever really bothered to ask before. And those that do don't really need to know."

"If they do ask then that just means they're curious," Konoka said with a smile. "Or they are like me and want to get to know you better. Why don't you tell me a little something about yourself?"

Kazumi put down her cup of coffee and sighed. "Konoka-chan, I appreciate the effort. And I like you okay. So don't take it the wrong way when I say I'm not going to tell you."

"I-I just wishe that I knew why."

"It's nothing against you okay? I just have trust issues is all."

Konoka smiled sympathetically and placed her hand over Kazumi's. "If you need anyone to talk to you can always come to me. Trust me, I won't let you get hurt."

Kazumi stared at Konoka through the dark lenses of her glasses. She looked down at their hands on the table and felt an odd jolt. As soon as she felt her breathing start to get faster she snatched her hand away. She looked down at her hand wondering about the strange feeling. There were all of those things that she heard about feeling when having a crush on someone. Funny feelings in your stomach, rapid breathing, and of course nervousness. Why was she feeling that now though? It wasn't like she had never felt that around girls before. Her first real kiss was from a girl after all. But this was Konoka; she was just a friend and Kazumi was sure that she belonged to Setsuna anyways. She shuddered at the memory and forced herself to look up at her friend. A pang of guilt struck her as she looked at Konoka's dejected face.

"Sorry," the brunette apologized.

"No!" Kazumi said quickly. "I shouldn't have acted that way. I'm not used to...affection of any kind."

"That's reall sa-" Konoka's coffee brown eyes widened. "Hey! Isn't that Takahata-sensei?" She asked, pointing to somewhere behind Kazumi.

The redhead turned around and nodded. "Yeah. And here comes Touko-sensei!" The blond teacher joined Takamichi at the table and they sat down. Kazumi turned around with a frown on her face. "So what? If Takahata-sensei is interested anyone it's Shizuna-sensei. This is probably just a business lunch."

"Then why did she just kiss him on the cheek?" Kazumi reeled around in her seat. "Look they're holding hands! The two of them look so happy together!"

"Awww dammit!" Kazumi whined.

"What's wrong?" Konoka asked.

"If I start taking pictures and the story gets edited they could get into trouble and maybe get fired," Kazumi ranted. "I can't do that to Takahata-sensei! Why couldn't it be a teacher that I hate?!" She banged her head down on the table in frustration.

"Aww that is so sweet of you! You want to protect them."

"...Whatever. Sorry I dragged you out here for nothing." She stood up and offered her hand to Konoka. "Come on. Let's get something to eat. My treat."

* * *

Setsuna sighed as she walked up the large hill that the World Tree sat upon. After Asuna's call to Negi the redhead had been so upset that she ran off. Granted Negi had something to do with her current foul mood. On the other hand however Setsuna knew that it was all her fault that Asuna had run off. Why did she react the way she did? _'Probably because you made her feel guilty about her fight with Negi-sensei,'_ Setsuna's mind prodded. _'Maybe because you chose his side over hers?' _That wasn't what she had done! Was it? As Setsuna approached the top of the hill her mind started to play over the conversation that had happened a few moments ago. 

**Flashback**

_Asuna stared down at the phone in her hand. "He hung up on me!" She cried in disgust. "That little brat! That shrimp! What the hell is is his problem?! Running off to China and abandoning us! What was he thinking?!"_

"_Um, Asuna-san?" Setsuna asked pressing the tips ogf her index fingers together in a very Nodoka like way. She didn't want to offend her friend. Normally, she wouldn't even interrupt like this but she had to speak her mind this time. "Maybe...maybe in this case it is you?" She suggested quietly._

_Asuna turned and looked at Setsuna in surprise. "Wh-what are you trying to say? Are you actually saying that you think it was okay for him to go off like that?!" The redhead asked, getting more and more angry._

_Setsuna glared right back at Asuna. She refused to be frightened by her, especially since she could beat Asuna up if needed. "Well, I know that you were frightened by what happened to Negi-sensei. You didn't know how to deal with it and I can't blame you. But you have a problem."_

"_What kind of problem?" She asked squaring her hips._

"_You expect Negi-sensei to come to you every time that he has a problem. And whenever the two of you fight you expect him to be the one to apologize even if it isn't his fault. And when he doesn't you get angry with him. Maybe when he comes back you should be the one to go to him." Setsuna leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms to show Asuna where she stood on the matter._

"_I-I..." Asuna stammered. Instead of saying anything she jumped up from the table and ran away._

"_What's going on with Asuna-san?"_

_Setsuna looked up at Nodoka. She stood up and slung Yuunagi over her left shoulder. "Tell you later!" She said, giving chase to her friend._

**Flashback Ended**

Okay so maybe she had chosen Negi's side over Asuna's. She was just speaking her mind though. It was something that she rarely did and it wasn't like Asuna could blame her for that. Finally she reached the base of the World Tree. Asuna wasn't there but she was sure this is where she had come to. Above her she could feel a strong signature of magic and ki. She knew that aura anywhere. Asuna was somewhere up in the tree. Comcentrating the ki into her legs, Setsuna kicked off of the ground and landed gracefully on one of the higher limbs. From there she was able to see Asuna sitting on one of the tree's large limbs. Her legs were dangling over the side as she watched the city. Setsuna made her way across the bracnhes until she landed on the same limb that Asuna was on. She noticed that instead of watching the city Asuna was staring at her pactio card with misty eyes.

It seemed like an eternity of crushing silence before Asuna finally spoke. "I'm not a very goo partner." She said in a childlike tone.

Setsuna blinked, Asuna's words dragging her from her reverie. Until she heard those words she had just been staring at the sheen that the Asuna's orange-red hair provided when the sun hit it. She walked over and sat down next to her friend.

"Why do you say that?"

"Setsuna-chan, do you think that I'm a bad person? You know because of the way that I acted towards Negi?"

Setsuna sighed. "Let me tell you a story," she said. "There used to be this shy, lonely, wierd girl who had no family or friends. She was too frightened to try and make friends. Frightened of rejection, frightened that if she got close to someone she would hurt them. Others were frightened of her because she was silent and kept to herself." She pulled Yuunagi from her shoulder and set it down beside them. "Then there was this girl. She was pretty, compassionate and popular. She took a chance on the strange lonely girl and decided to be friends with her. She brought the girl out of darkness, and she didn't care that the girl was less than human. Suddenly the girl wasn't so frightened anymore because she found someone so beautiful that she blocked out all of the darkness."

Asuna stared back at her friend with tearful eyes. Setsuna had never talked like that before especially about her. That was a kind of speech that she thought would be saved for Konoka. Before Setsuna had the chance to react, Asuna threw herself at her. She tackled the brunette back onto the tree. Asuna buried her head into Setsuna's shoulder crying into her shirt. Setsuna smiled sadly and held the redhead closer. She didn't move an inch while Asuna continued to cry. After a few minutes of crying Asuna pulled away from Setsuna and sat back. She wiped her eyes with her sleeve and smiled sheepishly at Setsuna.

"Sorry about that," she sniffled. "I didn't mean to glom on to you like that."

Setsuna blushed but shook her head. "Don't worry about it."

Asuna smiled gratefully. The smile quickly disappeared from her face and she bit her lip. "Do you think that Negi will f-forgive me?" She asked hopefully.

"Are you kidding? You know that he can't stay mad at you!" She gave a smile and nodded. "If you want I can come with you when you go to talk to him."

"Heh," Asun replied. "You know that story that you just told me was really sweet?"

"Well I meant all of it. I'm really lucky."

Asuna grabbed Setsuna's hand and held it firmly between both of hers. "No. I'm the lucky one. I mean this is the second time that I've cried on your shoulder." She looked up and smirked. "So I'm going to make you a promise. No matter how bad things get I'll never leave you on your own. You can count on it!" She gave the brunette a smile and a thumbs up.

Setsuna smiled back shyly, makining a promise of her own in her head. _'I'll alwaysbe here to protect you Asuna-san. Even if it means my life.'

* * *

_

"Are you sure that you are okay?"

Negi swiped absent mindedly at the locks of silver hair that hung down in front of his face. He turned to look at his companion. Lo on the other hand didn't even bother to look up from the ground they were walking on. After his fight with Asuna Negi had left the house without a single word to anyone. At first he had just been walking the streets with no particular destination in mind. After a while though he started to realize that he had no idea where he was going. So he decided that he needed to go to some place that was at least a little familiar. That left him with two choices: go back to the house or go to the Jade Palace. At the time the Jade Palace had seemed like a much better option. In his opinion it still was.

"What do you mean Lo?" Negi asked curiously.

Lo smirked and ran a hand through his ebony hair. "I've never seen anyone get drunk off of two glasses of scotch before," he said in amusement. "Yo know that you almost picked a fight with Li because you thought she was hiding weapons."

"Hey she ended up pulling a knife out on me didn't she?!"

"Of course she did. She's a Triad and my second in command. There is a reason I chose her you know?"

Negi made a sound of discontent and continued walking. "Thanks."

"For what?" Lo asked curiously.

"Putting up with me today. And my requests for help on the whole insertion thing."

"You have put me behind on many things," Lo admonished. He looked at the depressed face of his counterpart and sighed. "I guess that it's the least that I could do though. I shall never betray one of my sworn brothers. If I break this oath I will be killed by five thunderbolts."

"You do realize that the oath doesn't apply to those not in the organization?"

"You may not be a member of the Triads but you are my brother."

Negi smiled. "Thank you."

"Stop thanking me for everything. Besides I have to figure that by the way you were acting this, Kagurazaka Asuna must be important to you. A girlfriend perhaps?"

Negi blushed and waved his hands frantically. "Wh-what?! Asuna-san, no way!"

"A mistress then? I didn't think that you would be the kind to cheat on Ku Fei."

"Exactly. I would never cheat on Ku-chan...WAIT!" He turned towards Lo who was smirking at him in an amused way. "You've been going on about that all night. There is nothing between us!"

"Then why are you blushing? You must have some kind of feelings for her. Otherwise, you wouldn't react like that."

Negi didn't answer. Ever since he had started training with Ku Fei there had been a definite change in their relationship. He just never took the time out to figure out what it was. It was more than just a master and disciple relationship that much was for sure. Now he just wondered where the limit on the aforementioned relationship stretched to. He was so intent on his thoughts that he didn't notice the hand coming near him until it was already resting on his head. There was a small tug at his mind and he realized that it was Lo trying to read his mind. Negi's hand shot up and smacked Lo's arm away.

"Trying to read my mind?" Negi asked. "Now that is low."

"Criminal," was Lo's only response. "I wouldn't have to resort to those measures but when you wear those glasses it makes it hard to see what you are thinking. I mean, just what are you trying to hide anyways?"

Lo's hand shot out trying to snatch the glasses from his eyes. Negi's hand reached up in response and grabbed Lo up near his shoudler. Negi twisted his body and spun just underneath Lo's arm. He was trying to position himself so that he would be behind the older man. Lo spun with the attack and managed to reverse so that he was behind Negi. He reached around with his other hand and plucked the glasees from his face in one deft motion. Negi tried to turn around and grab the glasses back but Lo was too fast. He jumped back and dangled the glasses in front of Negi. His cool brown eyes stared back into hues of purple and silver.

"That's what you are so ashamed of?" Lo asked. He tossed the glasses back to Negi and shook his head. "What is wrong with you?"

"I can't show these eyes to anyone. Whatever took over me is something evil." Negi fixed the glasses to his content and looked back at Lo. "I can't look upon any of them with these eyes. People like them shouldn't be looked on with the taint of evil."

Lo shook his head and continued walking down the dark streets. Negi followed after him but didn't say a word. After a half an hour or so of walking they finally cam across the Fei family house. The two brothers stopped at the front gate and looked eachother dead in the eye. At least Lo looked Negi in the eyes, Negi looked down at the ground from behind his shades. After a second of silence Lo placed his hand on Negi's shoulder and gave him a brief pat.

"I...actually had fun with you tonight," he said. "It's been a little too long since the two of us have been together."

"It's been years," Negi swallowed. "You know, maybe you could come back to Japan with us when he go back."

Lo laughed at the idea and shook his head. "My place is here. If I went back with you I would only cause trouble." He smoothed out the jacket of his black suit. "Now listen closely because I'm going to give you some advice to help with your girl problems." Negi just looked at him and nodded in understanding. "Try looking at the situation through your own eyes."

Lo didn't need to see Negi's eyes to tell that he was completely confused. Negi's lips curled into a thin sneer and he shook his head. "What is that supposed to mean! It has been almost four years since I've seen you and you are still doing that to me!"

"No arguing with me. Ku-san is probably worried about you as it is. You should get back in there."

Negi shook his head and leapt up to the top of the gate. He turned around and looked down at Lo. For a second the two brothers stared at one another while the wind their hair. Negi took one last look and leapt down onto the other side of the gate. He crept silently through the yard not wanting to wake anyone. As soon as he made it to his open window he climbed through as silently as possible. There were two things that he noticed upon entering the room. One: the remains of his cell phone had been cleaned up from the floor. Two: Ku was in his bed fast asleep. For a second all he could do was stare at her until a voice broke his thoughts.

"She was trying to wait up for you to get back."

Negi jumped and saw Kamo sittinng on the bedside table. "She-she was worried?" Negi whispered.

"We all were. Where the hell did you go anyways?"

"To see Lo Fong," Negi answered quietly. He walked over to the bed and draped a blanket over the shivering girl.

"Shouldn't we wake her up to let her know that you are okay?" Kamo asked curiously.

"No. Let her sleep for now. She can beat me up tomorrow." Negi sat down on the floor and leaned up against the bed. He reached back and took Ku's hand in his own. "After all, even someone as carefree as her needs the chance to dream."

Kamo smiled and jumped down into Negi's lap. As he curled up to go to sleep he couldn't help but think about Negi and Ku's relationship. It all depended on how far the two of them were willing to take it.

**EndChapter

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**Well that took me too long. Stupid work. Anyways, do me a favor and let me know what you all thought. For every review I recieve one ermine will be saved. He will be given a home in the underwear drawer of energetic Japanese girls!**

**Kamo: For the love of god please review! **


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